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Historic Letter of Blessings from Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor to Rabbi Naftali Adler of London, on His Appointment as Chief Rabbi of Britain – Kovno, 1891 * Letter of blessing from the Gadol Hador Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, Av Beis Din of Kovno and leading posek of his time. The letter is written by a scribe, bearing the signature and with additional lines in the holy handwriting of Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan. The letter was sent to Rabbi Naftali (Hermann) HaKohen Adler and contains warm words of blessing upon his appointment to the position of Chief Rabbi of Britain and Av Beis Din of London, succeeding his father, Rabbi Nathan (Marcus) HaKohen Adler, author of Netinah LaGer, who passed away in Shevat 1890. The position of Chief Rabbi of Britain served, in effect, as the official leadership of all Jewry throughout the British Empire, and was one of the most prominent rabbinic posts in the world, enjoying especially broad public and governmental recognition. Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan blesses him: “May Hashem grant you long years in your position, and may you be blessed with success in the rabbinate and in all matters of Jewish life, elevating them to the highest standards of Torah. May the merit of your illustrious and holy forefathers stand by you, enabling you to rise like an eagle and achieve greatness in Torah and wisdom, and in all acts of charity and goodness through which Yisrael is glorified. May you become a source of praise and blessing in the land, a crown of splendor among our people, in whom they take pride. May the distinguished members of your community and your country be satisfied and happy with your leadership, and enjoy an abundance of peace. And may you merit to witness the uplifting of your people and the shining light of the Torah, with the restoration of the Kohen to the Urim, when Yehudah will be delivered, and Yisrael will dwell securely.” At the conclusion of the letter, Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan signs in his own handwriting: “Your faithful friend, who blesses you from the depths of my heart… Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor...” Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor (1817–1896) was an illustrious Torah luminary and the uncontested spiritual leader of Russian and Lithuanian Jewry in his era. Every difficult matter, whether in halacha or communal leadership, was brought before him. From 1864, he served as the Rav of the great city of Kovno, and from 1877, he also headed the Kollel Perushim there. His major works include Shu”t Be’er Yitzchak, Shu”t Ein Yitzchak, and Nachal Yitzchak on Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat. Rabbi Naftali HaKohen Adler (1839–1911) , a native of Germany, moved to London in 1845 when his father was appointed Av Beis Din there. A great scholar and learned man, he studied Torah from the sage Shi”r of Prague. He stood at his father’s side and assisted him in leadership and rabbanus, and following his father’s passing, was appointed to fill his place as the official Jewish representative of the British Empire — a position of considerable influence. The opening and closing lines of the letter were written in the handwriting of Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan himself: from the beginning until after the words “I hereby renew greetings with love” on the seventh line of the first page, and again from the words “your faithful friend” at the end of the seventh line on the second page until the conclusion. The rest of the letter, approximately seventeen lines, was written by Rabbi Yaakov HaLevi Lipschitz of Kovno, who served as the personal scribe of Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan for twenty-six years and authored his biography in the sefer Toldos Yitzchak. At the head of the letter appears a large and beautiful stamp of Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan, in both Hebrew and English. This stamp is rare. Kovno, 1891. Double leaf, comprising two written pages. Size : 17.5 × 22 cm. Condition : Good. Some stains. Small hole.