Bidspirit auction | “In My Old Age I

“In My Old Age I Am Preparing Myself, Without Vow, to Travel to the Land of Israel” – Moving Letter by the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky. 1902. - A deeply personal and moving letter by the illustrious gaon Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky, rabbi of Slutsk, addressed to his youthful friend Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Walk, rabbi of Pinsk and author of Keter Kehunah on the Sifrei. The present letter reveals a rare and intimate moment in the life of the Ridbaz. Having accepted the rabbinate of Slutsk in 1890 in succession to Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, by the year 1902 he had already resolved to ascend to the Holy Land. In poignant language he writes: “In my old age I am preparing myself, without vow, to travel to the Land of Israel.” Yet despite his burning desire, practical burdens delayed his journey. The community of Slutsk owed him more than three thousand rubles, and he was unwilling to forfeit the monies rightfully due to him. He therefore requests that several eminent rabbis convene a rabbinical tribunal, “and they shall find a means to produce the money.” Among those selected to arbitrate were: Rabbi Yitzchak Hachmark on behalf of the community of Slutsk The recipient, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Walk of Pinsk The rabbi of Mir, Rabbi Eliyahu Baruch Kamai The rabbi of Novogrudok, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein Rabbi Yitzchak Hachmark, who also signed the letter, was among the rabbis of Slutsk and later served as rabbi of the city after the departure of Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky. He later married, as a second marriage, the daughter of the Ridbaz. In the end, the Ridbaz did not travel to the Land of Israel at that time, but journeyed instead to Chicago. Only in 1905 did he merit to settle in the Holy Land, where he labored for nine years until his passing in 1913. Before us is a touching testimony to the yearning of one of the great sages of the generation for Eretz Israel, and to the worldly struggles that delayed the fulfillment of that sacred dream. [1] Postal card. 14 x 9 cm. Entirely in his hand, with his stamp. Condition: Very good. Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky — the Ridbaz [1845–1913], was among the greatest halachic authorities of his generation and one of the foremost commentators on the Jerusalem Talmud in all generations. His name became renowned throughout the Torah world for his penetrating genius, powerful halachic judgment, and encyclopedic mastery of all areas of Torah learning. Among his celebrated works are Responsa Ridbaz, as well as his two monumental commentaries on the Jerusalem Talmud: Chiddushei Ridbaz, a clear and foundational commentary in the style of Rashi on the Babylonian Talmud, and Tosefot Ri”d, an expansive analytical commentary in the style of the Tosafists. It was with these great works that he was engaged during the years in which the present letter was written. Already in his youth he was recognized as an extraordinary prodigy. At only twenty-three years of age he was appointed rabbi of Izabelin. Thereafter he served as preacher in Vilna, and later occupied important rabbinic posts in Bobruisk, Polotsk, Vilkavishk, and finally, in 1890, was appointed rabbi of Slutsk, one of the foremost Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. Between 1899 and 1902 he devoted himself to editing and publishing his major commentaries on the Jerusalem Talmud — a monumental scholarly achievement that helped restore the study of the Yerushalmi to a central place in Torah learning. It was during this period that the present letter was written. In 1905 he ascended to the Land of Israel and settled in Safed, where he founded a major yeshiva with approximately one hundred תלמידים, and continued teaching Torah until his final day. He passed away on the first of Tishrei, 1913, and was buried in the ancient cemetery of Safed, near the grave of Rabbi Leib Baal HaYissurim.