Bidspirit auction | “Their Hearts Are Filled with

“Their Hearts Are Filled with Heretical and Apostate Literature” — Rare Documents Relating to Maran, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna: A Personal Blessing Alongside a Rare Polemical Letter from the World of the Yeshivos - A fascinating and highly unusual lot comprising two original documents connected to Maran HaGaon Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron and one of the foremost leaders of the Torah world in Eretz Israel. Jerusalem, circa 5699 [1939]. 1. “Etz Chaim Hi LaMachazikim Bah” — Receipt of Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael–Chevron with a Triple Blessing in the Handwriting of Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna A large and impressive receipt issued by Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael–Chevron. Jerusalem, 12 Tishrei 5699 [1938]. The receipt was issued to one of the yeshivah’s supporters for a donation of one Palestine Pound. Written in its margin is a special blessing, signed by the Rosh Yeshivah himself, in three languages—Hebrew, Yiddish, and English. The Hebrew text reads: “May the merit of supporting the holy yeshivah in our Holy Land stand for him to be blessed with every goodness and blessing, as it is said: ‘It is a Tree of Life to those who uphold it.’” Beyond its historical significance as an early document of Yeshivas Chevron—one of the foremost Lithuanian yeshivos in Eretz Israel—the receipt also possesses special devotional significance. The personal blessing was written and signed by one of the greatest roshei yeshivah of his generation, who raised thousands of תלמידי חכמים and helped shape the character of the yeshivah world in Eretz Israel. In this connection, it is fitting to recall the words of the Nimukei Yosef (Bava Basra 116), who records: “It was the custom in France that anyone who had a sick person would seek out the head of the yeshivah to receive his blessing.” A testimony to the enduring faith placed in the blessings of the great roshei yeshivah throughout the generations. Large receipt, 23 × 15 cm. Good condition. Fold marks. Stain in upper margin. 2. “These Students Introduce Great Destruction into Torah Life…” — A Rare and Previously Unknown Protest Letter to the Rosh Yeshivah of Chevron A rare unsigned polemical letter addressed to Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna, apparently written in response to efforts to bring students of religious high schools (yeshivos tichoniyos) closer to the mainstream Lithuanian yeshivah world. The authors, apparently belonging to the more zealous circles of Jerusalem, sharply criticize the phenomenon and write: “Statements were made concerning the yeshivos tichoniyos, that these students introduce great destruction into Torah life, for their hearts are filled with books of heresy and apostasy. The principal destruction is evident when they arrive as an organized group; rather than becoming absorbed among the yeshivah students, they influence others who are drawn after them…” They continue by emphasizing that they do not seek to challenge the Rosh Yeshivah’s authority or dictate policy, but merely to present the facts as they see them and request his intervention: “We do not, Heaven forbid, come to impose an opinion, but only to reveal the reality, and certainly Your Honor will devise counsel lest this affliction spread, Heaven forbid…” The letter offers a rare glimpse into one of the sensitive educational controversies that occupied the yeshivah world in Eretz Israel during the first half of the twentieth century, revealing the pressures, concerns, and expectations directed toward the leadership of the Torah world in general, and toward the Rosh Yeshivah of Chevron in particular. 20 × 16 cm. Good condition. Fold marks. A lot of exceptional historical, Torah, and polemical significance, illuminating the personality and leadership of one of the foremost Torah figures of his generation from two very different perspectives. Biography Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna (1890–1969) was one of the leading roshei yeshivah of the twentieth century and served as Rosh Yeshivas Chevron for many decades. The foremost disciple and son-in-law of the famed Alter of Slabodka, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, he led the yeshivah after its relocation to Eretz Israel and educated thousands of students, among them many future roshei yeshivah, rabbis, and Torah leaders. He was one of the principal architects of the yeshivah world in Eretz Israel, and his educational and spiritual influence continues to be felt to this day.