Bidspirit auction | A halakhic responsum by Maran,

A halakhic responsum by Maran, Posek HaDor Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Wosner — not published in Shevet HaLevi - A fine and lengthy halakhic responsum (over 150 words) on the laws of Shabbat, written entirely in the distinctive holy handwriting and bearing the signature of Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Wosner zt”l, the leading halakhic authority of his generation. Zikhron Meir, Bnei Brak, 4 Shevat 1972. The responsum is addressed to Rabbi Eliyahu Schlesinger, one of the senior rabbis of Jerusalem. In this letter, Rabbi Wosner—true to his characteristic precision and clarity—defines the elusive nature of the primary category of labor known as Makeh be-Patish, a subject that many halakhic authorities over the generations have labored to define accurately. In this important responsum, Rabbi Wosner resolves the well-known difficulty raised by the Meiri: why each of the thirty-nine primary categories of labor does not also incur liability under Makeh be-Patish. Rabbi Wosner answers this fundamental question with a brilliant resolution, grounded in the halakhic principles he established in his responsa Shevet HaLevi. Remarkably, this significant letter—containing substantial halakhic innovations—was not included in the monumental responsa series Shevet HaLevi. However, to the benefit of scholars, it was published in the first volume of the recipient’s responsa, Sho’alin Ve-Dorshin (Jerusalem, 1997, p. 177), where the original query by Rabbi Schlesinger that prompted this response is also printed. Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Wosner (1913–2015) was born in Vienna and was a leading disciple of Rabbi Meir Shapiro at the Yeshivat Ḥakhmei Lublin. He immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1939 and soon became renowned as one of the foremost Torah scholars. In 1947, at the initiative of the Chazon Ish, he was appointed rabbi and Av Bet Din of the Zikhron Meir neighborhood in Bnei Brak, a position he held for the rest of his life. He also served as rosh yeshiva of Ḥakhmei Lublin. Rabbi Wosner was regarded as one of the greatest halakhic authorities of the modern era, whose rulings were accepted across all circles, earning him the title “Posek HaDor.” He authored the responsa series Shevet HaLevi and additional works. [1] Leaf, approx. 15 × 20 cm. Official letterhead. Entirely in his handwriting and bearing his signature. Condition: Very good.