Bidspirit auction | Early Letter of Zealotry by

Early Letter of Zealotry by the Rav of Jerusalem the Gaon Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis to the Gaon Rabbi Eliezer Silver with a Blessing for the New Year - Jerusalem, 1946 - Letter with zealous content handwritten and signed by the Gaon Av Beit Din of Jerusalem the Gaon Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis to the Rav of Cincinnati, the Gaon Rabbi Eliezer Silver - one of the leaders of the Torah world of America and president of the Union of Rabbis of the USA and Canada. Elul, 1946.  The letter was sent on the backdrop of the establishment of the Union of Yeshivas in 1946, in opposition to the sentior organization of Vaad Vayeshivot which was founded in 1920 in Poland by Gedolei Hador headed by the Gaon Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky and the Chofetz Chaim. In 1941, it was re-established in eretz Yisrael by the Gaon Rabbi Zeev Sorotzkin and the rabbis of Lithuania.  The background for establishing the rival organization was the connection formed between Vaad Hayeshivot and the Chief Rabbi of the Eretz Yisrael, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi Herzog, as well as its ties with Zionist institutions to receive funding. Against this backdrop, the zealot yeshivas - including Beit Yosef Zvi (Dushinsky), Yeshivat Torah VeYira, Yeshivat Shomrei HaChomot, and other institutions from zealot circles - decided to secede and establish a rival organization al Taharat Hakodesh. In his letter, Rabbi Bengis explains the motives behind the split and the apprehension regarding a shift in the character of the yeshivas, emphasizing the need to ”preserve the character of the yeshivas so that they do not alter their function according to the constantly changing times”.  It seems that even if the date of the letter was changed from Elul 1946 to Elul 2026, it would still be relevant - implying that disputes among Jews, ever since the days of Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel, are inherent to Jewish existence. Using modern language, they are a Feature rather than a Bug.  The letter contains wamd blessing for the New Year:  ”יכתב בספרן של צדיקים גמורים לאלתר לחיים ארוכים וברוכים ואתו עמו כל משפחתו והחוסים בצלו והחונים על דגלו כולם יתברכו בכל טוב סלה בגללו...”. [1] leaf. Approx. 28 cm. Quality official stationery with watermarks.  handwritten and signed by Rabbi Bengis.  Good overall condition.  *** The Gaon Rabbi Zelig Reuven Bengis (1864-1953) served as Rav in Kalwaria, Belarus and then as Gaon Av Beit Din of HaEidah HaCharedit of Jerusalem. Received his rabbinic Semicha from the Natziv of Volozhin, Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor and Rabbi Shlomo Hacohen of Vilna. Author of Liflagut Reuven and more. Among his disciples were Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. Was a famed Gaon. It is told that his in-law wanted to know whether all that was said of him was true so he sent a letter to the Rav of the Kollel, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, who was then living in Vilna and who replied: ”ולדעתי יהיה מגאוני הזמן - ויתר הדברים אוכל להודיעו כי בפה ווילנא היו רוצים בו גדולי הרבנים דפה”. The Gaon Rabbi Eliezer Silver (1881-1968) one of the first disicples of Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky Av Beit Din of Vilna. In 1907, he immigrated to the USA, where he became president of the Union of Rabbis of the USA and Canada and one of the leading Orthodox rabbis of America. Was known for his rescue efforts during WWII.