Bidspirit auction | Letter from Chassidim in the

Letter from Chassidim in the City of Sochaczew to the Gaon Rabbi Yosef Shaul HaLevi Nathanson, Av Beis Din of Lvov, Concerning a Dispute Regarding One of the Shochtim in Sochaczew. “Lest, Heaven forbid, we be ensnared in the sin of vows and oaths… and it would be forbidden to eat from his slaughter, even poultry and small animals.” Letter sent to the Gaon, author of Sho’el U’Meishiv, seeking clarification of the Halachic status of a Shochet U’Bodek who vowed, with the consent of the public, not to slaughter large animals. Sochaczew, 1866. [1] leaf, with [6] signatures of Chassidim in Sochaczew. Content of the letter: The Chassidim of Vurka sought to appoint as Shochet U’Bodek in Sochaczew the shochet “Rm”a Ben Hr”v”. Initially, the Rabbi of Płock and the Rabbi of Sochaczew prevented his appointment due to rumors and suspicions regarding him. After several years, another attempt was made to appoint him as Shochet U’Bodek, and the Chassidim of Gur began collecting testimonies that might lead to his disqualification. The Chassidim of Vurka requested the intervention of the Av Beis Din of Sochaczew, who proposed a compromise: the Chassidim of Gur would cease collecting testimonies, and the Shochet U’Bodek would vow to slaughter only small animals and poultry, refraining from slaughtering large animals. The Chassidim of Gur further vowed, with the consent of the public, that no more than a quorum of people would eat from the slaughter of this Shochet U’Bodek. As part of the compromise, the Rabbi of Sochaczew prohibited the Shochet U’Bodek from slaughtering large animals until he would receive permission from the Chassidim of Gur, and also forbade it for an additional half year after such permission would be granted. The authors of the letter request that Rabbi Nathanson prohibit the slaughter of this Shochet U’Bodek even if he receives permission from the Chassidim of Gur, arguing that such a vow cannot be annulled since it was made with the consent of the public. The writers further suspect that the Av Beis Din of Sochaczew proposed the compromise under the influence of payment received from the Chassidim of Vurka, and they request that the Av Beis Din of Lvov rebuke the Rabbi of Sochaczew for this matter. Stains; defects along the edges of the leaf restored, with damage to the text. Moderate to good condition.