Auction 1 - Rare Hebrew Books, Manuscripts & Rabbinic Letters
Lot 29:
Description
Signed by
Rabbi Yaakov Chai Abo (1830–1899), French Consul in the Galilee, and one of the founders of the colonies “Mi Marom” (later Yesod HaMa’ala) and “Gai Oni” (later Rosh Pinna).
The Rabbi Eliyahu Rachamim Antebi (born 1852), one of the greatest preachers in Safed. He authored several works that remained in manuscript form. (Otzar HaRabbanim 2310), born in Safed in the year 5612 (1852) to his father Rabbi Shabtai, who was famous for his holiness and righteousness and was know as the “Mashia”ch”
Chacham Avraham Chai Shaki: Chief of the Rabbinical Court (Av Beit Din) in the city of Safed.
This remarkable and historically significant manuscript provides an unprecedented, firsthand window into the complex societal, financial, and political dynamics that governed the Old Yishuv of Eretz Yisrael during the late Ottoman era. Penned by the leading Sephardic chachamim and dayanim of Tiberias in 1897, this urgent missive is addressed to the undisputed leader of Palestinian Jewry at the time, the Rishon LeZion and Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, HaGaon Rav Yaakov Shaul Elyashar zt”l.
At the twilight of the 19th century, the holy city of Tiberias found itself at a critical sociopolitical crossroads. For centuries, the leadership and communal infrastructure had been exclusively dominated by a tightly-knit network of veteran Sephardic families. However, waves of immigration from North Africa (Maghreb) drastically altered the local demographics, making the North African community the absolute majority in Tiberias by 5657 (1897).
This seismic demographic shift culminated in a fierce, paralyzing battle over the appointment of the state-recognized Hakham Bashi (Chief Rabbi) of the city. The old guard fiercely championed the candidacy of Rabbi Shlomo Rahamim Abulafia zt”l, a scion of rabbinic nobility and the son of the town’s former chief rabbi. Conversely, the Ascendant North African faction threw their absolute support behind Rabbi Aharon Bachar Alhadif zt”l.
Because the distribution of the Haluka, the lifesaving charitable funds sent from the Diaspora to sustain the Torah community in Eretz Yisrael was legally bound to the office of the state-recognized Chief Rabbi, the local leadership gridlock triggered an immediate socio-economic catastrophe. The entire apparatus ground to a halt, leaving the local impoverished families on the brink of starvation, threatening the very survival of the Tiberias community. In this highly charged, emotional letter, the signature rabbis of Tiberias lay bare the community’s plight before the Rishon LeZion. They plead for his immediate intervention on two critical fronts: They request that the Rishon LeZion immediately dispatch two stellar talmidei chachamim (Torah scholars) from the Batei Din of Jerusalem to serve as objective arbiters, quiet the rival factions, and restore communal shalom. They implore Rav Elyashar to leverage his immense political influence and official standing with the authorities in Istanbul to formally ratify their eventual consensus candidate, Rabbi Alhadif, ensuring imperial recognition from the Ottoman authorities.
Condition: Very good condition
Opening price: $800
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