Bidspirit auction | “And Through the Great Merit

“And Through the Great Merit of Rashbi” – A Historic, Hasidic, and Segulah Letter by the Boyaner Rebbe Concerning the Right of the Lag BaOmer Kindling in Meron - Rare and Important Letter of Appointment Concerning the Historic Lag BaOmer Kindling at Meron – Signed and Sealed by the Boyaner Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Friedman An original and rare letter of appointment, bearing the autograph signature and official seal of the holy Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Friedman of Boyan (1891–1971), heir to the royal Ruzhin dynasty and the foremost leader of Boyan Hasidism. Written in 1954, the letter appoints the Chief Rabbi of Safed, Rabbi Simcha Kaplan, as his personal emissary to perform the central ceremonial kindling atop the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron on the night of Lag BaOmer. This letter possesses extraordinary historical significance, as it constitutes one of the rare surviving written documents that explicitly records the tradition of the right to conduct the Meron kindling ceremony—a privilege which, according to longstanding tradition, was acquired in perpetuity by the holy Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin, known as the Saba Kadisha of Ruzhin. According to Hasidic tradition, Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin purchased the right to perform the Lag BaOmer kindling in Meron from the Sephardic custodians of the site. Although no formal legal documents documenting this transaction have survived, the tradition has been universally accepted, and the Rebbes of the Ruzhin dynasty have maintained this hereditary right continuously from generation to generation until the present day. In earlier generations, when the Ruzhiner Rebbes resided outside the Land of Israel, they customarily appointed emissaries to perform the ceremony on their behalf, most often the rabbis of nearby Safed. From the time of the Ruzhiner Rebbe until the present, many sought to challenge or appropriate this prestigious privilege. The question of who should be regarded as the “owner” of the Meron kindling ceremony has long been a matter of contention. Following the establishment of the State of Israel, attempts were reportedly made by state religious authorities to transfer the right from the Ruzhin-Boyan dynasty to government officials. These efforts, however, were ultimately unsuccessful. In the present letter, the Rebbe formulates the tradition of ownership in gentle yet unmistakably firm language: “The kindling, being a sacred act and mitzvah, is held in the established possession of my holy grandfather, the Rebbe of Boyan of blessed memory; of my great-grandfather, the holy Rebbe of Sadigura of blessed memory; and higher still, of my saintly ancestor, our master Tiferet Yisrael of Ruzhin of blessed memory.” Beyond its immense historical and Hasidic significance, the letter also carries profound spiritual and devotional importance. It concerns the Lag BaOmer ceremony held at the tomb of the divine Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron, one of the most sacred and exalted gatherings in Jewish life. The ceremony has continued uninterrupted from the days of the holy Ari until the present, and countless traditions of miracles, blessings, and salvations have become associated with it. Concerning this unique occasion, it has famously been said: “Inside the cave—it is Yom Kippur; outside—it is Simchat Torah.” Particularly noteworthy is the noble conduct of the present Boyaner Rebbe. Although for generations the Ruzhin Rebbes appointed the rabbis of Safed as their emissaries for the ceremony whenever they themselves lived abroad, a Rebbe residing in the Land of Israel would ordinarily perform the kindling personally. Nevertheless, after inheriting this privilege, the Boyaner Rebbe chose not to revoke the appointment previously granted to Rabbi Simcha Kaplan by his predecessor. Until Rabbi Kaplan’s passing, the two would jointly kindle the sacred bonfire each year, demonstrating remarkable humility and mutual respect. [1] leaf. 21 cm. Very good condition. Filing holes. The holy Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Friedman of Boyan (1891–1971) was one of the most prominent heirs of the Ruzhin dynasty and the principal leader of Boyan Hasidism in the postwar era. Born in Boyan to Rabbi Yitzchak of Boyan, author of Pachad Yitzchak and grandson of the holy Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin, he served as Rebbe in Vienna following the First World War. Later he emigrated to the United States, where he established the center of Boyan Hasidism in New York. He served as a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and as president of the Association of Hasidic Rebbes in the United States, dedicating himself to strengthening Torah and Hasidic life in America. Following the passing of his brother, Rabbi Yisrael, in 1951, he became the central Rebbe of the worldwide Boyan movement. Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo stood at the head of the historic Lag BaOmer kindling tradition in Meron, an ancient hereditary privilege of the Ruzhin-Boyan dynasty.