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Letter of Support from the Sages of Chevron for the Queen of England following her Rescue from an Attempted Assassination  – Sent to Sir Moses Montefiore – Chevron, 1882 * A letter bearing the handwritten signatures of Rabbi Eliyahu Saliman Mani, Rabbi Shimon Menashe Chaikin, and other leading rabbanim and heads of the Sephardic and Chabad communities of the City of the Patriarchs. In the letter, sent to Sir Moses Montefiore when he was about ninety-seven years old (!), the sages of Chevron describe the great excitement that seized the Jews of the city upon hearing that Queen Victoria of England had been saved from an attempted assination on her life, and that they conducted a special prayer of thanksgiving in her honor. On the eleventh of Adar 1882 (March 2, 1882), the Queen of England was traveling by royal train. As the train passed through Windsor Station, a pistol shot was fired in her direction by a mentally ill man named Roderick Maclean. A youth standing nearby disrupted the assailant, causing the shot to miss and thus sparing the Queen. Montefiore had known the Queen for many decades, from her youth when they lived in close proximity. In 1837, she conferred upon him the title “Sir, ” an honor that moved him deeply; in his diary, he wrote that the day he received the title was one of the three greatest days of his life, together with the day of his marriage and the day of the dedication of his synagogue. Montefiore sent a letter to Rabbi Shmuel Salant and to the Rishon LeTzion, Rabbi Raphael Meir Panigel, recounting the miracle of her deliverance and requesting that prayers of thanksgiving be arranged to mark the Queen’s salvation. In this remarkable letter, the sages of Chevron respond that they were overjoyed to hear that the Queen had been saved from an assassination attempt, and that the entire community of Chevron gathered in the main synagogue to give thanks to Hashem with heartfelt prayer. They add a prayer on behalf of the Queen: “Master of the world, You who possess all power and endure forever, please raise the Queen's honor even higher, through Your salvation. Surround her with dignity and splendor and grant many more years to her reign. Bless her with a long and enduring life.” They then shower blessings upon Montefiore: “Your good name will never be forgotten by us or by our children; future generations will continue to recount your greatness.” The letter is signed by: - Rabbi Eliyahu Saliman Mani, Av Beis Din of Chevron; - Rabbi Shimon Menashe Chaikin , Av Beis Din of the Chabad community in Chevron; and - Rabbi Rachamim Yosef Franko , Av Beis Din of Chevron. Their signatures are joined by: - Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Slonim, director of the Chabad kollel in Chevron and grandson of the Mitteler Rebbe; - Rabbi Nissim Chaim Cario, dayan in Chevron; - Rabbi Nissim Michael Lahabah, dayan in Chevron;  - Rabbi Meir Yom Tov Farhi, dayan in Chevron; and - Rabbi Moshe Beche”r David Kimchi, dayan in Chevron. Chevron, 22 Adar 1882 . A folded paper leaf, one page written in fine and clear Sephardic scribal script, with the signatures of the rabbanim in their own handwriting. Size : 22.8 × 28.2 cm. Condition : Good, with slight tears at the margins. ---------------------------- Rabbi Eliyahu Saliman Mani (1818–1899) , Av Beis Din of Chevron, was a primary disciple of Rabbi Abdallah Somech in Baghdad. From 1864 until his passing, he served as Av Beis Din in Chevron. He was one of the well-known sages of Eretz Yisrael, to whom many turned with questions, and he maintained close ties with the Ben Ish Chai. Many of his writings have been printed in recent years by Chevrat Ahavat Shalom. Rabbi Shimon Menashe Chaikin (1798–1893) , Rav of the Chevron community, was a prominent Chabad chassid and a close chassid of the Tzemach Tzedek, who held him in high esteem. For many decades, he stood at the head of the Chevron community and bore the weight of its leadership. The Tzemach Tzedek said of him that he was a “beinoni of the Tanya” (a “beinoni” according to the Tanya, is a person with complete self-mastery) and on another occasion remarked that “he is detached from materialism.” Rabbi Rachamim Yosef Franco, author of Sha'arei Rachamim (1835–1901), was one of the well-known sages of Eretz Yisrael. Born in Rhodes, he moved to Eretz Yisrael in 1868 and settled in Jerusalem, where he was appointed dayan in the Beis Din of the Yissah Brachah. Later, he moved to Chevron, where he served as dayan and subsequently as Av Beis Din. Rabbi Nissim Michael Lehava was a prominent member of the Sephardic community in Chevron for many decades and served as a dayan in the beis din of Rabbi Eliyahu Saliman Mani in Chevron, with whom he was also connected through marriage. He signed numerous documents of shadarus that were sent around the world. He was beloved and well-regarded by the public and was appointed administrator of the Sephardic community in the city.