Bidspirit auction | Historical Content: Important Letter from

Historical Content: Important Letter from Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz Regarding the Rabbinate of Grodno - Rare and Early Autograph Letter by Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz – Rosh Yeshiva of Mir, Written in 1935 on Official Letterhead of His Father-in-Law, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel – With Content Regarding the Rabbinate of Grodno and the Rosovsky Family Tragedy An extremely rare and early letter, of fascinating historical content, entirely handwritten and signed by the towering Gaon and Rosh Yeshiva of Mir, Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz, during his early years of marriage, written on the official letterhead of his father-in-law, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel (son of the Alter of Slabodka). Mir, 1935 [5695] The letter is addressed to “My dear friend, the honorable Rabbi Yosef” [Rosovsky], brother of the renowned Rabbi Shmuel Rosovsky, later Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh (also mentioned in the letter). Rabbi Chaim expresses heartfelt condolences on the passing of their father, the Gaon Rabbi Michel David Rosovsky, who served as rabbi of Grodno, and shares in their profound sorrow. Following Rabbi Michel David’s passing, there was public controversy surrounding the succession to the Grodno rabbinate. Rabbi Shmuel Rosovsky renounced any candidacy for the post — a decision that ultimately saved his life, as he escaped the destruction of European Jewry during the Holocaust. Rabbi Chaim writes with visible emotional distress: “Upon receiving the letter, I suffered additional pain and anguish…” He refers to the turmoil regarding the Grodno rabbinate, which caused him great concern beyond the grief of Rabbi Michel David’s passing. He informs the recipient that he spoke with ”the Mashgiach” (the saintly Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz of Mir, the guiding force of the Yeshiva’s ethical and spiritual path), who supported his request for the rabbinic position and: “apparently agreed to the idea and wrote a very favorable recommendation, explicitly stating that since the matter of the rabbinate and the rabbinical court is under discussion, you are worthy and qualified for the position.” This letter was written during Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz’s early years as a young avrech, five years after his marriage into the Finkel family, and about a year before his official appointment as a maggid shiur at the Mir Yeshiva. [1] leaf, 27 cm. Condition: Good to fair. Age stains, fold marks, tears along folds and edges (some reinforced with paper tape). Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz (1903–1979) Legendary Rosh Yeshiva of Mir, grandson of the Alter of Novardok, and son-in-law of Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel. A close disciple of Rabbi Shimon Shkop, who appointed him to teach the younger students of Grodno Yeshiva. From 1936, Rabbi Chaim began delivering shiurim in Mir, continuing uninterrupted for over forty years. He served for decades as Rosh Yeshiva of Mir and was a member of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel. Known not only for his immense brilliance and depth but also for his extraordinary righteousness and compassion. During World War II, Mir Yeshiva escaped to Shanghai, and despite extreme poverty, Rabbi Chaim shared the Yeshiva’s limited resources with other exiled Yeshivot such as Lubavitch, Kletzk, and Kaminetz. In the words of Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach in his eulogy: “With the passing of Rabbi Chaim, the world has lost its true Torah diligence.”