Bidspirit auction | Letter by the Mekubal Rabbi

Letter by the Mekubal Rabbi Shimon Zvi Horowitz to the Mekubak Rabbi Yehuda Fatiyah - Jerusalem, 1914 - ”כי כל המקובלים לומדים בתורה לילות כימים” - special letter handwritten and signed by the Gaon the Mekubal Rabbi Shimon Zvi Horowitz the Rosh Yeshiva of the Sha’ar Hashamayim Yeshiva - addressed to the Mekubal Rabbi Yehuda Fatiyah - Jerusalem, 1914. The letter was written in the first years of the Yeshiva when Rabbi Yehuda Fatiyah was still living in Baghdad, Iraq.  The Sha'ar Hashamayim Yeshiva  led a revolution in the study of Kabbalah, teaching it to thousands of Talmidei Chachamim who had previously not studied it.  At the beginning of his letter, Rabbeinu describes his hard and thorough work in teaching the Kavanot of Sefirat HaOmer to the students of the Yeshiva: ”יאמין לי ידידי כי באלו הימים מן קודם הפסח היה לי טרדות ויגיעות אין לשער איה שוקל ואיה סופר מהלומדים המקובלים בשביל להכין הכנה דרבא ללמוד עמהם כונת ספירת העומר למען יוכלו לכוין על נכון... וזכינו להדפיס סידור כונת ספירת העומר...”. Then, Rabbi Horowitz thanks Rabbi Fatiyah for a lirage shipment of the books Idra Rabba and Idra Zuta with his commentary Yein Haroke'ach, which was published in Baghdad in 1908. He then requests that he send himn additional volumes for the learners' benefit: ”וחלקתי לעשרה ת”ח אבל הנשארים נצטערו הרבה בחלישות דעת ובקשו ממני ג”כ אבל ראו בעצמם שלא קבלתי אלא עשרה... אולי ואולי יש בכוחכם לשלוח איזה עשרות אד”ר (אדרא רבא) דוקא ואז ישמח לבם ואיש על מקומו יבא בשלום...”.  Fascinating letter, between the leading Mekubalim of the same Dor De'ah! Official stationery of the Sha'ar Hashamayim Yeshiva.  Fine Rashi script.  23X29 cm.  Fold lines and tears. A small blemish to the lower part of the leaf. Taping. Fair-good condition.  *** The Mekubal Rabbi Shimon Zvi Horowitz (1870-1947), One of the founders of the Ashkenazi Yeshiva of Mekubalim Sha’ar Hashamayim. As the Kabbalah states that the ten lost tribes will be discovered before the final Geulah, in 1929 Rabbi Shimon Zvi was sent to Asia on behalf of the Jerusalemite Mekubalim from all the different communities to investigate the matter. For two years, walking by foot or riding a donkey he discovered remains of Jewish settlements in far-flung places cut-off from the rest of the world. He even travelled as far as Tibet, but the Indian authorities suspected him of having criminal motives, and he was therefore forced to stop his journey. He recorded his experiences on his journey in his book Kol Mevaser that was published in 1923.