Bidspirit auction | Bundle of Chassidic Manuscripts from

Bundle of Chassidic Manuscripts from the Gaon Rabbi Yisrael David Gutterman, a Leading Chassid in Poland. 1840s - Bundle of [4] authentic Chassidic letters of guidance along [14] written pages from the renowned Chassid Rabbi Yisrael David Gutterman, one of the most prominent Chassidim in Poland - the Chassidic metropolis, and one of the closest associates of the first Admo”r of Porisov - son of the Yehudi HaKadosh of Peshischa. Garwolin, 1879-1883. Rare and important historic-Chassidic material that gives a taste of the lofty Divine service of Chassidim a hundred and fifty years ago. Important chapters about the Chassidic path appear in these letters. All this is alongside important historiographic details about gedolei haChassidut  in the writer's generation, with whom he held deep bonds of friendship and kinship.  Background to writing these letters: The gaon and Chassid Rabbi Yehoshua Elazar Gutterman, son of the writer of these letters, ascended from Poland to the Land of Israel in his youth. Once there, he married a daughter of the gaon and Chassid Rabbi Avraham Eliezer Mintzburg, av beit din  of Józefów (son-in-law of the sacred rebbe Rabbi Yitzchak David of Lelov, son of the rebbe Rabbi Moshe of Lelov, grandson of the Yehudi HaKadosh). Those same years in the late 19th century, the journey from Poland to the Land of Israel was not at all common, and ascending to the Land of Israel often meant permanent separation from family, never to meet again. In these letters from Rabbi Yisrael David, a burning Chassid with every bone in his body - as is evident from each and every line of these special letters, is guidance from a father to his son - authentic Chassidic guidance, in which he instructs his son how to conduct himself according to the Chassidic traditions of their forebears. The gaon and Chassid Rabbi Yisrael David places great emphasis on the words of Chassidut and Divine service he writes in these letters, which he instructs his son to read and re-read once in a while. Indeed, it is evident from the letters that they were read many times and closely studied. Following are sample passages from the letters - which, as mentioned, have not been examined as would befit their importance. * Letter 1: Garwolin [1879?]. [1] leaf paper, written on both sides. 33x21 cm. The first half of the first page is a letter from Rabbi Yisrael David to his in-laws Rabbi Avraham Eliezer and his wife, signed twice. The second part of the first page and the first part of the second page is a letter from Rabbi Yisrael David to his son. The second part of the second page is a letter from the mother, Sarah, to her son. The top of the letter bears primary historic documentation of the house of the Admo”rim of Porisov, with notes on the Lelov dynasty. The family relationship between the Porisov and Lelov dynasties is known. The Admo”r Rabbi Yehoshua mentioned here is an uncle of Rabbi Moshe of Lelov. ”And when I received a letter from my son - [your] son-in-law - while I was traveling to Porisov, I took it with me there, and I showed it to my son and my son-in-law - the Admo”r, shlit”a, and I spoke with [him] ... for the good. The Rebbe Rabbi Meir Shalom and his brother-in-law the expert avreich  Moshe Chaim wrote their regards, enclosed in this letter. The Rebbetzin said that she does not have the time to write herself, but I should send regards to everyone on her behalf. The girls all say ' Mir beg'in zeir noch Yocheved Lebbin ' ... and ask how my friend, my kindred spirit, close to my heart (this is followed by a long line of honorifics) is doing, Rabbi Binyamin Yehudah Leib [Bornstein], son-in-law of the rabbi and tzaddik R' Yitzchak David [of Lelov] shlit”a ... and also [mention us?] to the tzaddikim Rabbi Yitzchak David shlit”a and his younger brother, Rabbi Eliezer Menachem shlit”a, so that they pray for us, among the entire Jewish people, for the good, at all the sacred sites ...” In the mother's letter, she also asks him to ”send regards to the distinguished tzaddeket  Rebbetzin Mattel, may she be well, wife of Rabbi Eliezer Menachem, shlit”a.” ======================= * Letter 2: Garwolin, 1881. [1] double leaf paper, four written pages. 33.5x21 cm. The first three pages contain a letter from Rabbi Yisrael David's father, signed twice. At the end of the third page is a short addition in Yiddish from the father to his daughter-in-law, R' Yehoshua Elazar's wife, signed once again. The first half of the fourth page is a letter in Yiddish from Rabbi Yisrael David to his in-law Rabbi Avraham Eliezer Mintzberg, av beit din  of Józefów, and his wife. The second half is a letter in Yiddish from the mother, Sarah, to her son R' Yehoshua Elazar. A short addition appears in the margins of the fourth page, apparently handwritten by Rabbi Yisrael David, with historic details about a marriages among the families of Admo”rim: ”And [my] friend R' Meir M”tz sends his best regards to everyone ...