Auction 1 - Rare Hebrew Books, Manuscripts & Rabbinic Letters
Lot 1:
Description
An extraordinary two-sided manuscript letter on official stationery of a Gerrer Chassidic Mesivta, Warsaw, ca. 1920s
This remarkable document contains autograph writings by two of the most influential rabbinic leaders of twentieth-century Europe: Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin, founder of the Daf Yomi program, and Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter, the Imrei Emes of Ger. Addressed to Rabbi Yosef Baumgarten (1864–1933), Dayan and later Av Beit Din of Vienna’s renowned Schiff Shul, the letter represents an important primary source documenting one of the most significant communal controversies facing European Jewry in the aftermath of the First World War.
Written during the widespread devastation that left countless yeshivos struggling for survival, the correspondence concerns the distribution of funds collected by the Keren Olam HaTorah HaKlali, the international relief fund established to sustain Torah institutions throughout Europe. Both Rabbi Meir Shapiro and the Imrei Emes argue forcefully that Polish yeshivos, particularly the extensive network of Chassidic institutions, were receiving far less than their fair share, while a disproportionate percentage of available funds was being directed to Lithuanian yeshivos.
Rabbi Meir Shapiro’s passionate appeal cites an earlier Agudath Israel resolution guaranteeing Polish yeshivos forty percent of the available allocations and demands that this commitment be honored. His closing words, delivered with characteristic wit and sharpness, bears a memorable passage of the document:
“Our Sages taught that there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel—but that there is no Torah like the Torah of Lithuania, that we have never heard.”
The reverse bears a significant letter from the Imrei Emes, lamenting the diversion of funds intended for the traditional yeshiva world and making what appears to be a subtle reference to the emerging Bais Yaakov movement. While expressing deep respect for Rabbi Leo Deutschlander, he employs the striking Talmudic phrase, “The daughter of a priest should not be treated like an innkeeper,” to protest what he viewed as a reversal of long established communal priorities.
Beyond its exceptional autograph value, this document offers a rare, candid glimpse into the internal debates that shaped Orthodox Jewish life during a formative period. It vividly illustrates that behind the remarkable achievements of Agudath Israel, the great European yeshivos, and the rise of Bais Yaakov stood difficult discussions over representation, priorities, and the allocation of desperately needed resources.
An exceptionally important historical artifact, uniting two towering Torah leaders in a single manuscript and preserving a pivotal chapter in the history of European Jewry.
measuring 11 × 8 inches, in very good condition.
Opening price: $8,000
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