Emotional letter signed by rabbis of Tiberias to Chief Rabbis in Israel requesting a heter of 100 rabbis to save a ...

Emotional letter signed by rabbis of Tiberias to Chief Rabbis in Israel requesting a heter of 100 rabbis to save a husband from aginut for a wife who had gone mad.

Typewritten letter on official letterhead, by “the Chief Rabbinate of Tiberias and the Lower Galilee”, from Kislev 1950, addressed to the Chief Rabbis of Israel, in which the rabbis describe the suffering of an anonymous person who had married a woman and had children by her, “and for more than seven years she’s been suffering mental illness…causing him to spend great sums trying to cure her without success, and now expert doctors have made clear that she is suffering from a chronic illness”, and he asked the dayanim to allow him to remarry “because he desires a wife who can take care of raising the children and manage the home, and also to save him from lust…how much longer will he remain chained to her?” At the end the rabbis recommend the heter of 100 rabbis “there is no limit to the greatness of this mitzvah, to be merciful to the children who are suffering greatly from lack of suitable treatment.” Signed by “Rabbi Yaakov Hai Zrihan, Shmuel HaLevi Kook, Asher Zeev Werner.” 22x27.5cm. Two small tears in the margins, no damage to text, light defects, folding creases, generally good condition.

Rabbi Yaakov Hai Zrihan (1869-1953) was the son of Rabbi Baruch Haviv. A chief rabbi of Tiberias, Ra’avad from 1929 in place of Rabbi Eliyahu Yaluz, author of Shofriya d’Yaakov and Bechorei Yaakov.

Rabbi Asher Zeev Werner (1894-1958) was the son of Rabbi Simcha Bonim. A kabbalist and posek, served as Av Beit Din of Tiberas from 1934, after the death of Rabbi Moshe Klirs. He also served as rabbi of the Poalei Agudat Yisrael party in place of Rabbi Meir Karlitz. In addition he was also a member of the Council of Torah Sages for Agudat Yisrael.

Rabbi Refael HaKohen Kook (1900-1971) was the son of Rabbi Dov, was the Chief Rabbi and Av Beit Din of Tiberias, and was the brother of Rav Avraham Yitzhak HaKohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of Israel. He was also father of Rabbi Simcha HaKohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of Rehovot, and Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kook, rosh yeshiva of Maor HaTalmud.