Bidspirit auction | A long and important letter

A long and important letter by Rabbi Raphael David Saban — Chief Rabbi (Ḥakham Bashi) of Turkey. Istanbul, early 1940s - A long and important letter by Rabbi Raphael David Saban — Chief Rabbi (Ḥakham Bashi) of Turkey Istanbul, early 1940s A fascinating and highly significant letter by Rabbi Raphael David Saban, one of the leading sages of Constantinople and head of the rabbinical establishment in Turkey, addressed to Rabbi Isaac (Yitzhak) Herzog, Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel. In the letter, Rabbi Saban discusses pressing contemporary halakhic issues, foremost among them the status of those seeking conversion for the sake of marriage, and the halakhic treatment of children born of mixed marriages—questions that were of urgent concern at the time in light of the changing circumstances of Jewish life in the Diaspora. Alongside the halakhic discussion, the letter conveys a deep communal and emotional dimension. The author expresses profound concern over the spiritual and social condition of Turkish Jewry, giving voice to his anguish in the moving phrase: “Behold, my heart is sick within me over the afflictions of the land.” The author — Rabbi Raphael David Saban (5637–5721 / 1877–1961): One of the foremost sages of Constantinople (Istanbul) of his generation, a great authority in both Halakhah and Aggadah. He served in various rabbinical positions in Turkey from the age of twenty and was regarded as a central figure in the leadership of Turkish Jewry. In 5713 [1953] he was appointed Ḥakham Bashi, Chief Rabbi of the Turkish state. The letter constitutes an important historical document, attesting to the direct relationship between the rabbinical leadership of Turkish Jewry and the Chief Rabbinate of the Land of Israel, and to the halakhic and communal deliberations that occupied Jewish leaders in the years preceding the establishment of the State of Israel. 3 pages. 29 cm. Condition: good. Filing holes.