"Et Vahev B'Sufah" - Rare Letter from Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook to the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin

"Et Vahev B'Sufah" - Rare Letter from Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook to the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin

"Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said: Even father and son, rabbi and disciple, who study Torah in the same place, become each other's enemies and do not move from there until they love one another, as it says, 'Et Vahev BaSufah' - read not 'b'sufah' (in the storm), rather 'b'sofah' (in the end)" (Kiddushin 30b)

Rare and important letter, entirely handwritten and signed by the gaon Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, later first chief rabbi of the Land of Israel. The letter is addressed to his future rival, the gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin. Jaffa, 1914.

In this letter, written before the full force of the outbreak of the dispute against Rabbi Kook, Rabbi Kook describes his leading rival [halachic rival, that is, not personal rival, Heaven forfend] with the lofty titles: "The great gaon, the posek hador"! The letter is filled with expressions of love, "beloved teacher, " "peace and all the worlds' blessings" "blessing of extreme love" etc. In contrast, in a letter sent just a few years later from Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham to Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky regarding Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, the tune is quite different. There, Rabbi Kook is described as a dreamer of dreams and his sefarim as books of magic that require genizah. [See Winner's catalog no. 134, item 137.]

Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the gaon Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook and of the addressee, the gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin.

[1] double leaf, 11x13 cm. Official stationery. Entirely handwritten by Rabbi Kook.

Very fine condition. Fold marks. Few ink stains.