Bidspirit auction | A Historic Letter by the

A Historic Letter by the Glory of Polish Jewry – Rabbi Meir Shapiro, Rosh Yeshiva of Chachmei Lublin - A Historically Significant and Highly Important Autograph Letter By the Holy Gaon Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin — Founder of Daf Yomi and Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin Piotrków, circa 1924 An exceptional autograph letter (over 100 words), written entirely in the holy hand and signed by Rabbi Meir Shapiro, the visionary architect of the Daf Yomi program and founder of Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin. The letter was written in Piotrków in 1924 (circa) and addressed to Rabbi Shimon Dov Yerushalimski, son of the gaon of Kielce, Rabbi Moshe Nachum Yerushalimski. Rabbi Meir Shapiro was renowned for his rare breadth of vision and extraordinary ability to transform bold ideas into reality. His revolutionary proposal of the Daf Yomi, presented at the gatherings of Agudath Israel, reshaped the landscape of Torah study worldwide. Likewise, the establishment of Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin—the largest, most magnificent, and most modern yeshiva of its time, surpassing even contemporary European universities in organization and infrastructure—marked a watershed in the history of the yeshiva world. Among his most ambitious undertakings was the founding of what he envisioned as the largest Jewish library in the world: “Otzar HaSefarim of Lublin.” “One hundred thousand volumes” was the rallying cry with which he called upon world Jewry to help establish a comprehensive treasury encompassing the entirety of rabbinic literature—from the earliest works to contemporary publications. He initiated a far-reaching campaign across Jewish communities worldwide, urging the creation of collection centers in every city and town. The present letter deals directly with this grand endeavor. From its contents, it emerges that Rabbi Yerushalimski sought to transfer a substantial Torah library to the newly established yeshiva. Rabbi Meir Shapiro responds with practical proposals for publicity strategies and donor mobilization. From this remarkable document we witness the formative stages of yet another of his monumental projects taking shape. The phenomenal gaon outlines the guiding principles for the library’s success: “It may be advisable to divide the books according to their categories—Responsa separately, Kabbalah separately, Pilpul separately, and so forth—each category to be arranged independently. For each category we shall seek dedicated benefactors, since for a single donor the burden may be too heavy.” Indeed, his vision materialized. The Otzar HaSefarim was established within the yeshiva building itself—as he writes in this letter: “I am prepared to undertake a campaign so that the House of the Treasury of Books shall come to the Yeshiva of Lublin.” The library became the largest of its kind in the Jewish world. To this day, volumes bearing the stamp of the illustrious Yeshivat Lublin library appear in auction sales. Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin (1887–1933), chief rabbi of Lublin and one of the foremost leaders of Polish Jewry, was a towering scholar who rebuilt the banner of Torah through the founding of Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin. A leading figure of Agudath Israel, he introduced the concept of Daf Yomi at the First Knessiah Gedolah. At the request of the Gerrer Rebbe, he served as a member of the Polish Sejm (parliament). He passed away tragically young, at only 46. Shortly before his passing, he had taken out a substantial life insurance policy; in his death, he bequeathed “life” to his yeshiva, as the policy funds covered its debts and enabled it to continue functioning. With the Nazi conquest of Lublin, their first target was the yeshiva library—the symbol of Jewish spiritual vitality. According to many testimonies, the books were publicly burned in the city square in a tragic spectacle etched into Jewish memory (though some contend that parts of the collection were looted rather than destroyed). The German youth periodical Deutsche Jugend Zeitung chillingly recorded: “It was a source of pride for us to destroy this Talmudic academy, known as the greatest in Poland. We threw out all the Jews’ holy books and set them aflame. For twenty hours the flames raged. The Jews of Lublin stood around and wept, but a military band was summoned, and the cheerful strains of martial music drowned out their cries.” Physical Description: [1] double leaf of paper, each page 21 × 13 cm. Official stationery bearing the rare title “Member of the Sejm.” Entirely in the handwriting and signed by Rabbi Meir Shapiro. Very good condition. Fold marks.