Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Michael Yonah of Torino, Italy, to Rabbi Shlomo Shalem of Amsterdam, 18th century

Letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Michael Yonah of Torino, Italy, to Rabbi Shlomo Shalem of Amsterdam, 18th century

Letter in nice Italian handwriting and signed by Rabbi Michael Yonah of Torino, addressed to Rabbi Shlomo Shalem, Av Beit Din of Amsterdam, with divrei torah and redeeming the debts of the Amsterdam community. The content continues onto the back of the page, with light stains, small defects in the margins, overall good condition.

Author of the letter: Rabbi Shlomo Michael Yonah, Av Beit Din of Torino, an Italian sage of the 18th century. Brother-in-law of Rabbi Yehiel Haim Trivish, Av Beit Din of Vircelli. He first resided in Alessandria, Italy, and learned under Rabbi Eliyahu HaLevi. When HaHida came there they met one another and exchanged letters of friendship. One of the letters was a song of praise which he wrote especially for HaHida. HaHida really appreciated him and wrote very nice things about him (Encyclopedia of Italian Sages, p. 480).

Addressee: Rabbi Shlomo Shalem, Av Beit Din of Amsterdam (1705-1781), son of Rabbi Yehiel. He was orphaned and was raised by his grandfather, Rabbi Yosef ben Aharon Tzalmona in Sofia. He was a student of Rabbi Eliezer Nachum and Rabbi Refael Yaakov Avraham Giron. He was a rav Kollel in Sofia, then moved to Amsterdam, was delayed in Vienna and Frankfurt-an-der-Oder, served as rabbi in Belgrade (succeeded by Rabbi Issachar Abulafiya of Tiberias), and was then appointed to be rabbi of the important Amsterdam community in place of Rabbi Yitzhak ben Dana di Brito as well as rosh yeshiva of Etz Hayim there. Among his students were Rabbi Reuven ben Yaakov of Salonika, who wrote an introduction to his rabbi’s book. Authored Lev Shalem, Shoneh Halachot, Nechmad LaMarah. His son was Rabbi Yehiel, son-in-law David ben Refael Russo.