Bidspirit auction | A Forceful Letter of Defense

A Forceful Letter of Defense on Behalf of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch by Rabbi Wolf Hamburg, Av Beis Din and Rosh Yeshiva of Furth – 1844 * A lengthy handwritten and autographed letter by the illustrious gaon Rabbi Wolf Hamburg, author of Shaar HaZekeinim, Av Beis Din of Furth, and head of the “Yeshiva HaRamah” of Furth – the largest and most important yeshiva in Western Europe. The recipient had written to his teacher raising several arguments in the halachos of kiddushin against the rulings of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. These claims had been circulated and sent by Rabbi Hirsch’s opponents to the Gedolei Hador. Before us is the notable response of one of them. In this letter, the Shaar HaZekeinim rises to the defense and speaks with firm resolve on behalf of the young gaon Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, who was some thirty-eight years his junior. The Shaar HaZekeinim writes sharply: “All that you have written is untrue; you have responded falsely in what you wrote, that the Rav, Rabbi Samson Hirsch, who stands always as a beacon for the nations, introduced a novel view in this matter – this is an absolute falsehood… And you have added yet another falsehood, to cast slander that Rabbi Samson permitted the kohen in this case – it is not so… Therefore, without doubt, you have unjustly cast aspersions upon the aforementioned Rabbi Hirsch, and you should first have inquired of him before coming to mislead the sages of the holy community of Frankfurt that the incident occurred in this manner…” At the end, he signs: “Your friend, the humble Avraham Wolf son of Rabbi Lipman Hamburg, z”l.” This letter is of historical significance as it sheds light on the early years of Rabbi Hirsch's life; it was written several years before he assumed the rabbanus of Frankfurt. Rabbi Avraham Binyamin Wolf Hamburg, Av Beis Din of Furth, author of Shaar HaZekenim (1770-1850), was a remnant of the generation of giants such as the Noda B'Yehuda, Rabbi Nosson Adler, and the Baal Hafla’ah. He was the head of the prestigious yeshiva in Fürth and educated many students who spread throughout Germany, including the Aruch LaNer and Rabbi Yitzchak Dov Bamberger. He was eulogized by the Ksav Sofer as “the genius of the generation, a righteous pillar of the world, who stood firmly against the destroyers [the Maskilim] and dedicated his soul to Torah.” Letters from his later years are rare, for writing had become difficult for him, and his doctors forbade him to extend himself, as he himself testifies at the conclusion of this letter. The letter was sent to his disciple, Rabbi Gavriel Naftali Hirsch Lipman, Av Beis Din of Averich and Kissingen, who merited to publish many works from the writings of Ibn Ezra, with the blessing of his revered teacher. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808–1888) , the leading Rav of Germany and outstanding educator and man of truth, was at that time serving as Rav of Emden and was deeply involved in the pressing issues of the era. His sharp letter against the Reform at the Brunswick assembly was published in the sefer Toras HaKana’us (Amsterdam 1845), and in that same period, his letter regarding the sanctity of bris milah was likewise publicized, also in opposition to the Reform movement. It is noteworthy that in the very year this letter was written – 1844 – Rabbi Hirsch’s candidacy was proposed for the rabbanus of London, a fact not widely known; ultimately, Rabbi Nosson Adler, author of Nesinah LaGer, was chosen there. In 1851, he was appointed Rav of the famed Kehillas Yere’im in Frankfurt, then numbering only eleven families, where he remained for the rest of his life. Furth, 1844. Entirely in the holy handwriting and with the signature of the Shaar HaZekeinim of Furth. A large letter, approximately 19.5 × 25 cm. Condition : Good. A small hole at the bottom of the letter where the wax seal was affixed.