Bidspirit auction | Historical Letter with the Handwritten

Historical Letter with the Handwritten Signature of the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi Herzog the Chief Rabbis of Israel - Historical letter about the preparations for the establishment of the state - with the handwritten signature of the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi Herzog, the Chief Rabbi of Israel - addressed to Rabbi Meir Bar Ilan - Jerusalem, 1938.  In his letter, Rabbi Herzog calls for a small assembly of rabbis at his home, following the negotiations toward the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel. The meeting was intended to coordinate positions among the leading rabbis of the Yishuv, in order to ensure that a minimum level of religious observance would be guaranteed by the law of the newly founded state. Eventually, as is well known, a series of Halachic regulations were established in Israeli law, such as marriage according to Jewish law, public observance of the Sabbath, the observance of the Sabbath by state authorities, the 'Who is a Jew' definition, and so forth. Despite the ongoing erosion of these laws by the remaining elements of Mapam in power, they are still largely maintained throughout the country.  Among others, he writes: ”בהשקף על האפשרות של יצירת מדינה יהודית בעתיד הקרוב מוטלת חובה על נציגות התורה בא”י להתחיל... בהכנת תכנית הדרישות הדתיות שעליה יהיה להעמיד לפני הסמכיות הציבוריות בקשר עם חוקת המדינה ההיא...” [Reflecting upon the possibility of creating a Jewish state in the near future, the representatives of the Torah in Eretz Yisrael are duty-bound to begin... preparing a proposal of religious requirements that must be presented to the public authorities in connection with the constitution of that state...].  Rav Herzog details 4 central issues that should be considered - the observance of the Sabbath, Kashruth, marriage and divorce and surprisingly, equal rights to non-Jews living in the State of Israel!!! Official stationery.  22X28 cm.  Good condition. The Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi Herzog (1889-1959) was the Chief Rabbi of Irish Jewry and later the Chief Rabbi of Israel, succeeding Rav Kook. During the Holocaust, he worked extensively to save Jews. He was the founder of the Yad HaRav Herzog Institute, which published the Talmudic Encyclopedia and was named after him after his passing. He also initiated the construction of the new building for the Chief Rabbinate, Heichal Shlomo. He authored several books, including the Shut Heichal Yitzchak and Ketavim Ufsakim. The Gaon, Maran Rabbi Ovadya Yosef, in his eulogy for him, said, ”He was a leader of Israel; he loved justice and hated evil, and he always defended the people of Israel...”.