Bidspirit auction | Letter of Yearning: Historic Letter

Letter of Yearning: Historic Letter from Gedolei HaDor to Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook - Rare and important historic letter from leading rabbis and activists in Jerusalem. Sent to the gaon Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, chief rabbi of the Land of Israel. He was in the United States at the time, in the midst of his fundraising trip with Rabbi Avraham DovBer Kahane Shapira and Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein. Jerusalem, Iyyar, 1924. The rabbis write ”We were eyewitnesses to [your] sorrow when [you] left the Holy Land, and how difficult it was for [you] to leave our precious Land. As a result we became extremely concerned about this distress affecting [your] health, and we very much yearn to hear how [you] are doing, how [you] are looking after [yourself] so far from [your] dear family and [your] heart's desire ...” Later on in the letter the rabbis ask him to send them letters and updates about the results of the trip. Signatories on the letter include: Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank (rabbi of Jerusalem), Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky, Rabbi Yerucham Fischel Bernstein ( ra'ava”d  Chassidim in Jerusalem), Rabbi Yosef Gershon Horowitz (rabbi of the Meah She'arim neighborhood and head of the Meah She'arim yeshivah), Rabbi Yisrael Rabin, Rabbi Zerach Epstein (rosh yeshivah of Torat Chaim), Rabbi Yechiel Michel Mushkin, Rabbi Avraham Philosoph, Rabbi Ben Tziyon Koinkah ( av beit din  and posek  of the Edah HaSepharadit   in Jerusalem and Hebron), R' Ze'ev Shachor, R' Ya'akov Yitzchak Teitelbaum, R' Naftali Porush Glickman and R' Zalman HaLevi Soloveitchik. Short addition at the bottom of the letter handwritten by R' Zalman Soloveitchik on behalf of the rabbis, who ask about Rabbi Aharon Teitelbaum's well-being. Rabbi Teitelbaum was a relative of the Chafetz Chaim's and one of the leading rabbis and activists in the United States. Rabbi Eliyahu Shlomo Ra'anan, Rabbi Kook's grandson, writes on the back of the letter that he gave this letter as a gift to Rabbi Shimon Cohen. [2] leaves paper, printed on one side, with the addition of the original signatures. 28.5x22 cm. Fine-very fine condition. Fold marks. Tiny tears in the margins. Light rust marks from staples.