Bidspirit auction | An Unpublished Letter from Rabbi

An Unpublished Letter from Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook to Prof. David Yellin — Rare Words of Appreciation Between Two Leaders of the Jewish National Revival. Jerusalem, 1934 - An important and previously unknown letter, entirely in the handwriting and bearing the signature of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel, addressed to Prof. David Yellin — one of the foremost leaders of the Yishuv, a pioneer of the Hebrew language revival, and former head of the Va'ad Leumi (National Council). Jerusalem, 3 Sivan 5694 [1934]. To the best of our knowledge, this letter has never been published — neither in the collected letters of Rabbi Kook, nor in the writings of David Yellin, nor in the numerous biographical and scholarly works devoted to either figure. It thus constitutes a previously unknown historical document connecting two of the principal architects of the spiritual and cultural identity of the renewed Jewish community in the Land of Israel. The letter was written as an expression of gratitude upon receiving David Yellin’s book Gan HaMeshalim VeHaChidot (“The Garden of Fables and Riddles”), Part II. In it, Rabbi Kook lavishes rare praise upon both the author and his accomplishments. Among other accolades, he refers to Yellin as “the rabbi and scholar, an ornament of noble character” (ha-rav he-chacham pe'er ha-middot), and describes his literary achievement as “a work filled with wisdom.” [1] Paper sheet, 21 × 13 cm. Very good condition. Laminated for preservation and protection. Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook (1865–1935), the first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel, was one of the foremost Torah scholars, philosophers, and mystics of modern times. Son-in-law of Rabbi Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim (the Aderet), he served as rabbi of Zaumel and Bausk in Lithuania before immigrating to the Holy Land, where he became rabbi of Jaffa and its agricultural settlements and later Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. He founded both the Chief Rabbinate of Palestine and the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva, and emerged as one of the leading spiritual figures of the Jewish national revival. Prof. David Yellin (1864–1941) was among the foremost leaders of the Yishuv during the period of national revival. A co-founder of the Hebrew Language Committee together with Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, he played a central role in the revival of spoken Hebrew. He founded the Hebrew Teachers’ Seminary (today the David Yellin Academic College), was among the founders of the National Library, and stood at the forefront of Hebrew education in the Land of Israel. From 1920 to 1929 he served as President of the Assembly of Representatives and head of the Va'ad Leumi, helping shape the public, cultural, and national character of the emerging Jewish community.