His Mother would Make him a Small Robe - Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach's Tallit Kattan

His Mother would Make him a Small Robe - Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach's Tallit Kattan

"And the tallit will spread its wings over them and shade them, as an eagle awakens its nest and hovers over its fledglings"

The wondrous tallit kattan of the G-dly warrior of Divine wars, the sacred gaon Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, one of the rabbinic leaders of previous generations, whose light shone on them. This tallit was wrapped by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach for a lengthy period; he performed his glory-filled divine service that lasted many hours, and under which he studied with his famous diligence for entire nights in succession in his corner of the Ma'alot HaTorah yeshivah in Sha'arei Chessed. Extraordinarily rare tallit with special rare enhancements. 

It is well-known that the mitzvah of tzitzit was very beloved to the gaon Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, and he would enhance this mitzvah with one stringency after another to an astonishing extent. From the time the wool was shorn from the sheep, he was particular that it be done in the name of the mitzvah. Then the one who beat the would have to do so for the sake of the mitzvah, and so on for the entire process. He would also be particular not to use iron for the tzitzit; all the work was done only with ceramic scissors. The size of his tallit-kattan was especially large, to the point it covered most of his body (such that this tallit-kattan is the size of a standard tallit-gadol). He had the custom of blessing 'L'Hitatef B'Tzitzit' on this tallit-kattan, as is usually recited over a tallit gadol. 

The segulah of tzitzit is renowned. First, there is the mitzvah d'orayta we mention three times a day - in kriyat shema (the Vilna Gaon said in tears just before his passing that the value of tzitzit in Olam HaBa is inestimable). Tzitzit, especially a tallit kattan that belonged to one of the tzaddikim of the generations, comprises a protection from damagers and is also a segulah to find one's spouse. As stated in Kitvei HeAr"i (Pri Etz Chaim, Sha'ar HaTzitzit, Chapter 2) "The four tzitziyot all emit from the yessod called Tzaddik Elyon. And as the verse says, from the edges of the lands [מכנף הארץ ], we heard a hart of a tzaddik ... It is known that a woman makes a covenant only with one who has made himself a vessel ..."

It is appropriate to quote the words of the gaon Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach here about the segulah of items that belonged to tzaddikim, what he himself wrote (in a letter for the benefit of a widow who had an item that belonged to Mahari"l Diskin), as follows: "The matter of owning an item that belonged to a major personality is huge, as it says in the Yerushalmi Moed Kattan, Chap. III, 5a and the Yerushalmi Nedarim Chap. IX 5a, "Rabbi Meir's rod was in his hand it it would teach him understanding." The book Divrei Torah by the Munkacher Rebbe, edition I letter 22 concludes with these words: An item used by a tzaddik, even a material item, merits knowledge, and all the more so for goods of this world, see there." Rabbi Shmuel himself attests that using a tzaddik's belonging gives one "knowledge"! And all the more so, benefits in Olam HaZeh!" Astonishing.

On a personal note, it says in Shmuel that "His mother would make him a small robe." We clearly have no conception of a small corner of Shmuel HaNavi's robe, but this small robe characterized him over his lifetime to the extent that when he was raised form the dead after several years, when Shaul asked "What did you see?" The sorceress replied "An old man is ascending from the earth. He is wearing a cloak" and Shaul knew that it was Shmuel and he bowed his face down to the ground and prostrated himself." (Commentaries explain that this is the same robe that characterized him over his life.) Just as for Shmuel's small robe, one can certainly say regarding this tallit kattan - that anyone who ever crossed his threshold in Sha'arei Chessed could attest that the garment that most characterized Rabbi Shmuel was this sacred tallit-kattan with its impressive presence, something of a sacred cloak that enveloped his entire body. Fortunate was he who saw the king in his glory in his sacred service wrapped in this very tallit.

Specifications: Tallit-Kattan with tzitziyot that are kosher, suitable for blessing. Entirely made of finely-combed wool. Approximately 2 meters long. (Huge size, like that of a tallit-gadol.)

Fine condition. Usage marks. Several tears.

Signed confirmation included with personal testimony from Rabbi Mendel Auerbach, lecturer at the Sha'ar HaShamayim yeshivah and Ohr Elchanan, and nephew and personal attendant of Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, personally attesting to the authenticity of this tallit.

Note 1: The precious object about which Rabbi Shmuel wrote this letter was the peyla - the Mahari"l Diskin's kneading-bowl for matzah. One of the major Judaica dealers in the country offered to pay that widow close to 250000 NIS for it, on condition that she bring an original certificate from Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, upon who he relied. Rabbi Shmuel, gave her a written and filmed (!) authentication, as it says, "I will bring song to a widow's heart." (More information about the peyla is available from the auction house upon request.)