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Beautiful Letter of Ordination from Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor of Kovno on Parchment Kovno, 1875 * A rabbinic ordination certificate on klaf (parchment) granted to the Jerusalem sage Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Levinzon-Salant - “upon whose rulings all of Yisrael may rely without any concern.” The certificate is divided into two sections: At the beginning is the main certificate of rabbinical ordination, written in a Torah style script, signed by Rabbi Gershon Mendel Ziv, Av Beis Din of Tavrig - one of the great Rabbanim of Lithuania and a friend of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter. A second shochet u’bodek signed alongside him. In the lower section, the Gadol Hador, Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor of Kovno, added eight lines in his own handwriting and signature. There he writes that although his time is precious - “and in truth I have little spare time these days” - he nevertheless managed to briefly engage in Divrei Torah with the recipient of the semichah, and concluded that “one may rely upon this certificate.” The certificate is written on parchment! Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor of Kovno (1817–1896) was an illustrious Torah luminary and the uncontested spiritual leader of Russian and Lithuanian Jewry in his era. All major matters - in both halachic rulings and public leadership - were brought to him. From 1864, he served as Rav of the great city of Kovno. One of the senior Rabbanim of Lithuania, Rabbi Gershon Mendel Ziv (1812–1902) served for fifty years (!) as Av Beis Din of the community of Tavrig. Before that, he served for approximately thirteen years in the neighboring community of Plungyan. He was a friend of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, and Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan would refer cases of agunot to him. He passed away at nearly ninety years of age, and until his last day his eyesight did not dim and he never needed glasses (HaTzfira, 14 Iyar 1902). The recipient of the semichah, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Salant (d. 1907), was one of the sages of Jerusalem. Though ordained to rule in halacha, he humbly refrained for many years from accepting any rabbinic position. Only later in life did he serve as moreh tzedek in the Zichron Moshe neighborhood. He authored She’eiris Yaakov (Jerusalem, 1883) and Shiltei HaZahav (Jerusalem, 1901). Tavrig / Kovno, 1875. Eight lines in the handwriting and with the signature of Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor. Double parchment leaf. Size: 16 x 23.5 cm. Condition: Good, with typical stains. It is interesting to note that the brief Torah discussion between Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan and the recipient of the semichah touched upon the contemporary controversy surrounding the esrogim of Corfu - an issue that Rabbi Spektor dealt with extensively. This is recorded by the recipient of the semichah himself in a Torah essay printed in Torah MiTzion (Jerusalem 1898, Issue 3, leaf 10b), where he writes: “When I was in the city of Kovno in Russia in the year 1875, I merited to have an audience with the great Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan zt”l [who granted me then semichah] , and the discussion turned to the matter of the Corfu esrogim - at that time there was a great movement to prohibit them. And he said to me in his articulate style, that the matter of the Corfu esrogim began as monetary disputes and concluded in issur ve'heter…”