Interesting Letter from Rabbi Mendel Zaks, Son-in-Law of the Chafetz Chaim - Regarding Arrangements for His ...

Interesting Letter from Rabbi Mendel Zaks, Son-in-Law of the Chafetz Chaim - Regarding Arrangements for His Father-in-Law’s Immigration to Eretz Israel - "In the Name of the Rebbetzin… She Asks if One Can Obtain a Jewish Maid in Eretz Israel…"
Letter handwritten by R. Menachem Mendel Zaks, on the official stationery of his father-in-law the Chafetz Chaim, containing several questions and requests from the wife of the Chafetz Chaim, relating to their immigration to Eretz Israel. Radin (Radun), Tammuz 1925.
Addressed to R. David Potash of Tel Aviv (who greatly assisted the Chafetz Chaim in organizing his immigration to Eretz Israel). R. Mendel Zaks writes in the name of his mother-in-law, the rebbetzin, inquiring about various technicalities pertaining to their home in Petach Tikva, and about procuring household help ("a Jewish maid"): "…I hereby inquire in the name of the rebbetzin, who has heard that in Eretz Israel, it is not customary to place the stove in the house. She nevertheless wishes that the house should not be different from the one here, and therefore would like the kitchen stove and oven to be located in the house, rather than in the courtyard. She also asks if one can obtain a Jewish maid in Eretz Israel, and what her salary would be, since it may be worthwhile to bring over a Jewish woman from here…".
R. Mendel reports of the progress made in the preparations for immigration, which was scheduled for the middle of Elul 1925: "…we intend to leave in the middle of Elul, and then we will notify him more specifically… Menachem Mendel Zaks".
In 1925, the Chafetz Chaim made plans to travel to Eretz Israel and settle there in his old age. Already during Sukkot 1924, R. David Potash approached the activists of Agudath Israel in Jerusalem, and asked them to secretly obtain immigration certificates for the Chafetz Chaim and his family. Several months later, the plan was discovered by the yeshiva deans and Torah leaders in Poland, and, fearful of the European communities and yeshivot being left leaderless, they worked tirelessly to dissuade the Chafetz Chaim from realizing his intentions. The Chafetz Chaim however did not change his mind and continued preparing for his immigration to Eretz Israel. R. David Potash loyally persisted in furthering the arrangements for the Chafetz Chaim’s settlement in Eretz Israel. Philanthropists built him a home in the Petach Tikva colony ("Beit HaChafetz Chaim" until this day stands on Montefiore St. in Petach Tikva, and currently houses the Birkat Yaakov Talmud Torah). Ultimately, the journey was cancelled, when the rebbetzin’s state of health took a sudden turn for the worse, as the Chafetz Chaim himself wrote in a letter: "…in my old age, I planned on travelling to Eretz Israel… and I made all the required arrangements. However, I was providentially prevented, since suddenly, on the day I was ready to travel, my wife fell dangerously ill… and according to the doctors, she is unfit for travel, so I am compelled to remain here…" (Michtevei HaRav Chafetz Chaim, letter 116).
Postcard. 9X14 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and creases.
This interesting letter was first publicized in 2014, in the blog of R. Avishai Elbaum, director of the Rambam library, and in the Otzar HaChochma forum. See further information regarding the Chafetz Chaim’s plans to immigrate to Eretz Israel in the article by Aviasaf Ben Natan, The Chafetz Chaim’s Plan to Immigrate to Eretz Israel, in Eshel Natan, Anthology for the Jubilee of R. Natan Dasberg, Alon Shvut, 1988, pp. 110-115.