A letter from the last rabbi of Kaunas calling for the purchase of land in the Holy Land and its redemption from ...

A letter from the last rabbi of Kaunas calling for the purchase of land in the Holy Land and its redemption from foreigners. Kaunas, Elul 1930

"למען שממות ארצנו" - For the Wilderness of Our Land - Printed letter by the last Chief Rabbi of Kovno, Gaon Rabbi Duber Kahane Shapira regarding raising awareness to purchase land in Eretz Israel and redeem Eretz Israel from foreign hands. The letter was published in Kovno and written in Hebrew! on the 23rd of Elul 1930 after the events of the 1929 riots and reports about the difficult situation in the Eretz Israel reached the exiles. Kovno, Elul 1930.

In his letter, the Gaon describes the difficult situation that prevailed in Eretz Israel at that time after the 1929 riots - "the terrible events of last year in our Holy Land, the horrifying massacre perpetrated by our foes against our holy brothers, " and the British mandatory government preventing Jews from entering the country, as well as the spiritual danger from Zionism. In light of all this, he writes that there is a double and redoubled obligation "for every man of Israel to strive and exert himself to redeem a parcel of land from foreigners, to strengthen and secure the settlements of our brothers and their lives, and to redeem the land". The Gaon adds that "our Sages of blessed memory said: "There is no man of Israel who does not have 4 cubits in Eretz Israel", but these 4 cubits are occupied by strangers, and he must dedicate a significant portion of what God has blessed him with to redeem them", and adds that whoever is unable to purchase 4 cubits in Eretz Israel must take part in contributions to Keren Kayemet (JNF) to at least have a share in redeeming the Land.

Gaon Rabbi Avraham Dov Kahana-Shapira [1871-1943] was a descendant of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and Rabbi Alexander Ziskind of Horodna, author of Yesod VeShoresh HaAvodah. At age 43 he was appointed rabbi of Kovno, the second most important Jewish community in Lithuania. He was Kovno community's last chief rabbi, and one of the great Poskim of the 20th century. When World War II broke out, he was in Switzerland recovering from a serious illness. His son Yerucham, who lived in New York, urged him to leave Europe for New York until the end of the war, but he returned from Switzerland to Kovno and refused to abandon his community in its time of need. Throughout the war his son tried unsuccessfully to get him to leave Europe for New York. He passed away in the Kovno ghetto on the 22nd of Adar Aleph 1943 after an illness. He was buried in a large funeral, a life-endangering event in those days. His famous work is "Dvar Avraham responsa" 

[1] Leaf. 27x21 cm. Filing holes (reinforced with adhesive paper). Light stains. Good condition.