Bidspirit auction | Letter to Rabbi Wolf Loewe,

Letter to Rabbi Wolf Loewe, Av Beis Din of Verboi, from Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lehren and the Leaders of the Pekidim and Amarkalim Organization – Amsterdam, 1841 * A letter from the administrators of the renowned Pekidim and Amarkalim organization, which supported the Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael through the transfer of vast sums of charity funds. It was sent to Rabbi Wolf Loewe, Av Beis Din of Verboi, one of the great Torah leaders in Hungary and author of Sha'arei Torah. The letter deals with communal matters: the conclusion of the mission of a fundraising emissary from the Perushim Kollel in Jerusalem, and a request to warmly receive his appointed successor – Rabbi Avraham of Drahichyn (who would later serve as a Dayan in the Beis Din of the Imrei Bina and as director of the Vaad Haklali Knesses Yisrael ). Between the lines of the letter is a mention of “my beloved Rav, the gaon and prince among men, the Av Beis Din and Rosh Mesivta, may he be blessed with long days and years, of the aforementioned community [of Pressburg]” — a clear reference to the Ksav Sofer, who at that time was only 26 years old!  The letter is written in the handwriting of one of the most influential Jewish figures of that era — Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lehren, who served as president of the Pekidim and Amarkalim organization and was described by the author of Sha'arei Torah as a “prince and great man in Yisrael.” At the conclusion of the letter, he signed his name, joined by three additional leaders of the “Pekidim and Amarkalim of the Holy Cities, may they be rebuilt and established, residing in the city of Torah, Amsterdam, may it be built and established”: Rabbi Avraham Printz Rabbi Zalman Rubens Rabbi Yaakov Meir Lehren (brother of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lehren) At that time, the Pekidim and Amarkalim organizations wielded immense influence, serving as the world’s largest center for collecting and distributing charitable funds to Eretz Yisrael. The organization’s leadership, headed by Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lehren, was made up of deeply God-fearing individuals, beloved and respected by the Gedolei Hador, foremost among them the Chasam Sofer (who had passed away shortly before this letter was written). They used their considerable influence to preserve the character of the Torah-observant community both in Europe (such as during the metzitzah debate) and, of course, in Eretz Yisrael. Amsterdam, 1841. The body of the letter is in the handwriting of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lehren, with his signature, followed by the signatures of the three parnassim. Size : 14 x 23 cm. Condition : Holes along the folds with some tears. Characteristic thin paper.