Bidspirit auction | “Greater Is the One Who

“Greater Is the One Who Causes Others to Act Than the One Who Acts” — An Important Letter from the Chazon Yechezkel on Fundraising for the Torah World. - “For It Is Not Comparable When Your Honor Appears in Person, to the Appearance of an Emissary, Even if He Is Diligent...” Autograph Letter Signed by Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky to Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin Regarding the Activities of Vaad HaYeshivos. London, 1950 A letter of unusual and interesting content between two of the leading Torah sages of the generation, entirely in the holy handwriting and signed by the gaon Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, Av Beis Din of London and author of Chazon Yechezkel, addressed to the chairman of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, the gaon Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin, “formerly Av Beis Din of Lutsk.” London, 1950. The letter was written shortly before Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky left London and settled in Eretz Israel, a fact to which he explicitly alludes with the words: “upon my departure from here.” In the letter, the author of Chazon Yechezkel asks Rabbi Sorotzkin whether he—or one of his sons—would agree to remain in England for approximately six months in order to strengthen and establish the activities of Vaad HaYeshivos. In the course of the letter, Rabbi Abramsky sets forth his view regarding fundraising and emissarial work, writing: “For it is not comparable when Your Honor appears in person, to the appearance of an emissary, even if he is diligent and possesses the ability to be an effective man of action.” Later in the letter he writes: “Today I signed the check for the dispatch of the money being sent to you, ” and adds: “I was very pleased to learn that Dr. Schwartz fulfilled precisely what he wrote to me before Pesach—my letter made a great impression upon him.” [1] leaf, 13 × 21 cm, on the official stationery of the Beth Din of the London Jewish Community. Good to very good condition. Filing holes. Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky (1886–1976), author of Chazon Yechezkel, was one of the foremost Torah leaders of his generation. He served as rabbi in several Lithuanian cities, including Slutsk, and later as Av Beis Din of London. He was a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, president of Vaad HaYeshivos, and among the leaders of the Slabodka Yeshivah. His monumental work on the Tosefta, Chazon Yechezkel, is regarded as one of the most important and influential Torah achievements of recent generations. It is worth recalling the famous story associated with Rabbi Abramsky’s efforts on behalf of Vaad HaYeshivos (the version presented here is the one commonly attributed to Rabbi Doner of London): One year, on the eve of Pesach, a telegram arrived in London from Vaad HaYeshivos requesting the urgent raising of $50,000 for pre-holiday distribution—an enormous sum in those days. Rabbi Abramsky approached a wealthy London businessman with whom he studied regularly and requested his assistance. At first the benefactor asked for time to consider the matter, but when Rabbi Abramsky returned the following day, a check for the full amount awaited him on the desk. As he handed over the donation, the benefactor asked: How can the Sages say that “greater is the one who causes others to act than the one who acts himself, ” when he had given the immense sum while the rabbi had not contributed anything from his own pocket? Rabbi Abramsky replied: “Apparently, you have never had to ask others for money, and therefore do not know the sense of humiliation involved in doing so...”