Bidspirit auction | A Stand for Yiddishkeit in

A Stand for Yiddishkeit in America: A Strongly-Worded Letter from Rabbi Shimon Shkop, Rosh Yeshiva of Grodno – 1925 * A complete handwritten and autographed letter of the great gaon, Rabbi Shimon Shkop, Rosh Yeshiva of the illustrious Grodno Yeshiva and author of the renowned sefer Sha’arei Yosher. In the letter, Rabbi Shimon Shkop sharply addresses a rabbi in America, objecting to a ruling issued under his direction that permitted eating from the shechitah of a Jew who, on the one hand, was careful regarding forbidden foods, but who, on the other hand, publicly desecrated Shabbos. Rabbi Shimon Shkop states unequivocally that “in my opinion, and in the opinion of several rabbanim to whom I showed this ruling, it was not a correct ruling, and it has caused the public to stumble… it runs contrary to all the poskim, aside from a single opinion” for such a person embodies “two conflicting opposites within one individual.” He continues by noting that while, as a personal halachic ruling, there might be room to permit it bedi’eved, this could not justify a general ruling — certainly not one issued broadly to the public: “ To issue a ruling for the public permitting the shechitah of one who desecrates Shabbos is certainly an erroneous ruling.” This complex and painful question is a powerful testimony to the precarious spiritual condition of American Jewry in those years, when many — even among the observant — strayed from the proper path. This reality brought before rabbanim difficult and unprecedented halachic dilemmas. This is a letter from one of Lithuania’s leading Roshei Yeshiva, who felt compelled to write to far-off America to defend the faithful observance of Yiddishkeit in all its details and standards. --------------------- Because of the severity of the matter, Rabbi Shimon Shkop used a sharp tone in his letter; however, he also balances it with softer words. At the beginning of the letter, he dates it with the phrase: “Erev Shabbos Kodesh, of the verse ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace, ’” and he concludes respectfully: “Ve’es vahev besufah, and I hereby honor you though I do not know you — from one who wishes you well, Shimon Yehudah HaKohen Shkop.” (He alludes here to Kiddushin 30b, which teaches that even a father and son, or a rebbe and talmid, who engage in Torah debate, may initially become adversaries, yet ultimately part in friendship and love, hinted to in the verse “es vahev besufah” which should be read “es vahev besofah, ” meaning “in the end.”) Rabbi Shimon HaKohen Shkop (1860–1940) was one of the greatest Roshei Yeshiva of his generation and of those that followed. He was a brilliant scholar whose method of learning continues to be studied in batei medrash to this day. His Torah was published in his lifetime in the sefer Sha’arei Yosher. The letter was later printed, with additional background, in the journal Moriah (issues 90–91, Kislev 1979), and subsequently in Chiddushei Rabbi Shimon Yehudah HaKohen, volume IV. Grodno, 1925. A full page in R’ Shimon’s handwriting and bearing his signature. Official letterhead. Size : Approx. 21.5 × 28 cm. Condition : Good. Minor small tears.