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Set of Letters by the Greats of the Generation Rabbi David Karliner and Rabbi Shmuel Salant Karlin and Jerusalem, 1897 * A double leaf containing two letters on the same matter: 1. A handwritten and autographed letter by the venerable gaon of his generation, Rabbi David Friedman, Av Beis Din of Karlin. The letter was sent to Rabbi Shmuel Salant, the leading Rav of Eretz Yisrael and legendary Rav of Jerusalem for close to seventy years. In his letter, Rabbi David Karliner asks Rabbi Shmuel Salant to inquire with the Rav of Jaffa regarding the inheritance of a Jew from Pinsk (near Karlin), who had immigrated to Eretz Yisrael and resided in Jaffa. 2. A letter (unsigned) by Rabbi Shmuel Salant, addressed to the Kabbalist Rabbi Naftali Hertz HaLevi, Av Beis Din of Jaffa and compiler of the famous Siddur HaGra. As a continuation of the above letter, Rabbi Shmuel Salant asks the Av Beis Din of Jaffa to handle the inheritance matter. The letter bears the official stamp of Rabbi Shmuel Salant (without his signature). The body of the letter was written by his secretary. This letter passed through the hands of three Gedolei Hador: It was written in Karlin by Rabbi David Friedman, then sent to Jerusalem where it arrived after about three weeks to Rabbi Shmuel Salant, who then forwarded it to Jaffa to Rabbi Naftali Hertz HaLevi. Karlin and Jerusalem, 1897. Size: 13 x 20.5 cm. Condition: Good. __________________ Rabbi Dovid Friedman of Karlin (1828–1915), known as “Rabbi David Karliner”, was a revered Torah scholar. He was referred to as ”the Gadol Hador” by Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik and Rabbi Chaim Ozer called him “the senior posek of Klal Yisrael, unmatched in our generation.” Rabbi Elazar Moshe Horowitz, Av Beis Din of Pinsk and one of the giants of that era, said of him what was said of King David: “And Hashem was with him” – meaning that the halacha follows his opinion wherever he rules. He served as Rav of Karlin for about fifty years, and his home became a central address for people who turned to him for halachic guidance, to seek advice for the challenges of the generation and for communal leadership. His writings were published in Piskei Halachos Yad David (3 volumes) and Shu”t She’eilas David. Rabbi Shmuel Salant (1816-1909) was the legendary Rav of Yerushalayim and leader of the Ashkenazic community for close to a half-century. He immigrated to the Holy Land in 1841 where he served in various leadership positions and directed myriad Torah and charity institutions in Jerusalem for seventy years. The Kabbalist Rabbi Naftali Hertz HaLevi (1853-1902), Av Beis Din of Jaffa, was considered the first Rav of the new yishuv. With wisdom and righteousness, he drew the people close while still strictly keeping to halacha. He was extensively involved in establishing the halachos of Shemitah and mitzvos relating to Eretz Yisrael. He even permitted the ”Heter Mechirah” in a certain manner, according to the opinion of his Rav, the Maharil Diskin and Rabbi Shmuel Salant. ”A great tzaddik and gaon in hidden and revealed Torah and in mussar...” (The Maggid Rabbi B.Z. Yadler)