Auction 25 Tiferet 25 - Rare and Special Items
Apr 12, 2021
Israel
 Shenhav Building, Beit Hadfus st , Jerusalem

A special auction of rare items:

First editions of Hassidic Sefarim, Slavita-Zhitomir, letters by Tzaddikim and the greatest Hassidic Rabbis, the Geonim of Ashkenaz and Hungary, the greatest Rabbis of Lithuania, the greatest Poskim of previous generations, pedigreed copies, artifacts of renowned Tzaddikim, Satmar, Chabad and more.  

The auction has ended

LOT 38:

The days of glory of the Mir Yeshiva! Lengthy letter by the Rosh Yeshiva the Great Gaon Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda ...

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Sold for: $360
Start price:
$ 200
Auction house commission: 23%
VAT: 17% On commission only
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The days of glory of the Mir Yeshiva! Lengthy letter by the Rosh Yeshiva the Great Gaon Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, from the days of the reestablishment of the Yeshiva after World War I. Mir, [1922]. 


Lengthy letter that was sent to the Gaon Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov Hacohen Yaffe, the Rav of the Manchester community and a great activist for the Torah world in Lithuania, dealing with the difficult material situation of the yeshiva as opposed to its flourishing spiritual situation, in the period between the two World Wars. 

At the beginning of the letter, Maran the Gaon Rabbi Finkel recounts that he has sent all the volumes of the Sdei Chemed to be re-bound. In the following lines, he describes the condition of the yeshiva 'the material situation of our yeshiva is deteriorating due to the denying of the means for its existence. Until now there has been no change in our difficult situation. We hereby request of his honor to continue his lobbying for our holy yeshiva since our situation is terrible Hashem Yerachem'. 

Later, the Gaon Rabbi Finkel asks him to hurry the visa to England for the emmissary of the yeshiva the Gaon Rabbi Aryeh Leib Fentelniko.

At its end, the Gaon Rabbi Finkel sends warm blessing to anyone who will support the ancient Torah institution: the glorious Mir Yeshiva. 


Background: The Mir Yeshiva, one of the most important yeshivas of the Torah world for morethan two hundred years, was founded in Mir, Belarus, in 1815 by the Gaon Rabbi Shmuel Tiktinsky; yet, its main days of glory were after World War II, after the return of the residents of the town from their exile in Russia that was forced upon them during the destruction of the European communities.  

In 1922, close to the writing of this letter, the yeshiva was reestablished and had so many students that it was called 'The Yeshiva of the Rosh Yeshivas' due to the many educators and Rosh Yeshivas in the towns of Lithuania, Poland and elsewhere, who had studied there. 


The great Gaon Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel [1877-1965] Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva and founder of the New Yeshiva after the Holocaust, was from great scholars of the generation and member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel. Son of the the Alter/Saba of Slabodka Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel, disciple of the Gaon Rabbi Eliezer Gordon of Telz, the great Gaon Rabbi Shimon Shkop and the Great Gaon Rabbi Chaim of Brisk. Son-in-law of the Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu Baruch Kamai Rosh Yeshiva and Av Beis Din of Mir. He managed to escape from Holocaust, and immigrate to Israel where he established from new the Torah kingdom of Mir Yeshiva, which after several years became the largest and greatest fortress of Torah in the world. He served as member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel and was one of the greatest scholars of the generation.


The Gaon Rabbi Yisroel Yaakov Hacohen Yaffe, the son-in-law of the Gaon Rabbi Yosef Yaffe of Vilkomir the Rav of Manchester who followed in his footsteps for dozens of years. Supported and was active for Torah institutions in Lithuania. Passed away in Alexandria on his way to Eretz Yisroel in 1934 and was buried in Jerusalem. 


[1] official stationery of the Gaon Rabbi Finkel. 25X21 cm. Handwritten entirely and signed by Maran the Gaon Rabbi Finkel. Wear to left margis, Fold marks, very good condition.  

 


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