The Personal Notepad of the "Ha'Rav Ha'Falach" (The Peasant Rabbi) Rabbi Chaim Dov Cantor - Contains Descriptions ...

The Personal Notepad of the "Ha'Rav Ha'Falach" (The Peasant Rabbi) Rabbi Chaim Dov Cantor - Contains Descriptions of His Activity with the Pioneers - Shefya, [1913]
A pocket notepad with 30 leaves, cardboard binding. 11x7cm. red edges. The notebook is a manuscript by "Ha'Rav Ha'Falach" (The Peasant Rabbi), Rabbi Chaim Dov Cantor, the rabbi of Shefya and one of the founders of the Moshava, and the kashrut supervisor of the winery of Zichron Ya'akov.
The notepad contains descriptions of the writer's life: working in the fields and the vineyards of the Moshava, the work in the winery of Zichron Ya'akov, shopping, travel. The notepad also contains many descriptions of the activity of his well-known son-in-law, Rabbi Nachum Weisfisch, who was murdered in 1938. There are also many references to Hillel [Weisfisch?] and Yitzchak.
The notepad begins on the Eve of Passover 1913 and ends at the end of 1913. A fascinating diary, written in small script, the describes the daily life of the Moshava during the latter part of the Ottoman period.
We do not know of similar notepads by Rabbi Cantor that have survived. A unique item with rich historical content.
22 leaves: descriptions of his activity
23-30 leaves: summary of expenses and income

Historical background
Rabbi Chaim Dov Cantor was one of the fascinating figures that were active in the Land of Israel.
Rabbi Chaim Dov grew up in Meah She'arim and was educated at the Talmud Torah of the "Churvah" synagogue and later at the "Etz Chaim" Yeshiva. He married Esther Spector, the niece of Rabbi Yitzchak Alchanan Spector of Kovna, who was considered an outstanding rabbi of the generation and was a leading supporter of "Chovevei Zion".
Due to Rabbi Yitzchak Elachanan's connections with the Baron Rothschild, Rabbi Chaim Dov received the position of Shochet in Ekron-Mazkeret Batya. In 1903, after the establishment of the Moshava Meir Shefya near Zochron Ya'akov, Rabbi Chaim Dov asked the officials of the Baron to help him move to the Moshava where he will be able to work the land himself and "Torah and Avodah will be his simultaneously" as he said. The officials of the Baron agreed, and Rabbi Chaim Dov moved to Shefya and became a supporting pillar of the Moshava for dozens of years.
The Moshava Shefya was a secondary settlement of Zichron Ya'akov and its farmers earned their living from growing grapes for the winery of Zichron Ya'akov. As indicated by the notepad before us, Rabbi Chaim Dov was also one of these farmers. In addition, he agreed to serve in all the religious positions of Shefya and the complete area, which is also indicated by the notepad.

Rabbi Cantor's personality and activity
Rabbi Chaim Dov's unique figure - the Jerusalemite Yeshiva student who worked a s a farmer in the Moshava - became a household name in the Land of Israel of the early 20th century. The admiration towards the "Peasant Rabbi" as he was titled increased when it became known that unlike many other peasant, he employed only Jewish workers in his fields and spoke only Hebrew, rather than Yiddish, with them. Moreover, he tirelessly acted for the workers' rights in the Moshava and the winery of Zichron Ya'akov.
He won the admiration of the many pioneers who had worked with them (including David Ben Gurion and the leaders of the "Ha'Shomer" movement).
In addition to his agricultural and Zionist activity, Rabbi Chaim Dov made many efforts to promote the observation of Mitzvot in the settlements. He travelled to the settlements in order to conduct Brit Milah, served as a Shochet, Ba'al Toke'ah, Chazan and Posek. Within this framework, he used to consult with Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Ha'Cohen Kook on various matters.
After World War I, Rabbi Chaim Dov joined the "Ha'Mizrachi" Movement and even served as its representative in the Elected Assembly. He died in Jerusalem in 1944.
His son-in-law, Rabbi Nachum Weisfisch, who is referred to many times in the notepad before us, was one of the leaders of Shefya and assisted his father-in-law in all his public activities. He was murdered by Arabs on the 4th of Tamuz 1938.
Most of the information was taken from an article by his great-grandson Dr. Yossi Londin, which was published in the periodical 'Megged Yerechim', Sivan 2011, issue 128.
Condition: Good. Typical wear.