Rare Letter from Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch – Leningrad, 1925 – With Several Lines in His Handwriting – First Record ...

Rare Letter from Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch – Leningrad, 1925 – With Several Lines in His Handwriting – First Record of the Account of the Shpoler Zeida's Visit to the Baal Shem Tov at the Age of 3 (Printed in the HaYom Yom Calendar) – To R. Azriel Zelig Slonim – "Your Eyes Witnessed His Radiant Light, and You Heard His Holy Words"

Letter from Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn – the Rayatz of Lubavitch, with his handwritten signature. [Leningrad (St. Petersburg)], 24th MarCheshvan 1924.
Written by a scribe (the secretary R. Elchanan – R. Chonye, Marozov), with the addition of three lines handwritten by Rebbe Rayatz, with his full signature – "Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn".
Addressed to his relative R. Azriel Zelig Slonim in Jerusalem, in response to his letter describing the gathering they arranged to promote the Chassidut.
In his letter, the rebbe encourages him to establish Torah classes and to continue disseminating Chassidut in Eretz Israel. The rebbe reminds him of his studies in the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva in Lubavitch, where he was a member of Rebbe Rashab's household: "Consider, that even though you are one of the youngest students, your eyes witnessed his radiant light, and you heard his fiery voice, which is capable of arousing and enlightening".
In this letter, the Rayatz relates for the first time the famous story regarding the visit of the Shpoler Zeide by the Baal Shem Tov. Reputedly, the Shpoler Zeide once related to the Baal HaTanya, that at the age of 3, he saw the Baal Shem Tov, who "placed his holy hand on my heart, and from that time onward, I have felt warm, a gesture of a tzaddik, and all the more so, seeing him or hearing his voice, should generate an indelible effect".  This letter is the source based on which this story was printed in the HaYom Yom calendar (14th Tevet), compiled and published by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

At the end of the letter, the rebbe added in his handwriting: "Write to me all that is going on with you, and I know that several times you were successful in causing a strengthening in Torah study, and surely G-d will help you now as well. Your relative, who seeks your wellbeing and blesses you, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn".

R. Azriel Zelig Slonim (1897-1972), a prominent Chabad communal worker, director of Kollel Chabad, founder of Irgun Neshei UBnot Chabad and of Shikun Chabad in Jerusalem. He travelled around the world to raise funds and strengthen Jewish life in the most far-flung places, building mikvaot, assigning rabbis and shochetim, and setting up Torah classes.

[1] leaf (2 written pages). 21.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Tears and open tears (affecting several words), repaired with paper. Ink erosion. Minor stains.