Exceptional Letter Handwritten and Signed by the Rogatchover - Expressing His Esteem of the Baal HaTanya: "Almost ...

Exceptional Letter Handwritten and Signed by the Rogatchover - Expressing His Esteem of the Baal HaTanya: "Almost Every Ruling of the Gaon of Liadi is Correct"

Lengthy and exceptional letter of Torah thoughts, handwritten and signed by the Rogatchover, R. Yosef Rosen Rabbi of Dvinsk. Dvinsk, 1932.
Remarkable letter, sent to R. Yaakov Landau, with a pilpul on the topic of reciting Tachanun on the days following Shavuot. The way the letter is written expresses more than anything the Rogatchover's boundless wellsprings of Torah and brilliance. He begins the letter with the date - Tuesday 9th Sivan, and before adding the year, 1932, he immediately begins a lengthy (25 line) halachic study of the time of the year - the week following Shavuot, with references spanning the entire literature of Chazal and poskim, concluding with a justification of the Chabad custom of not reciting Tachanun until 12th Sivan included. Here, he adds a remarkable sentence: "almost every ruling of true Gaon of Liadi is correct". Only then does he note the year, and continue with the actual letter.
The Rogatchover's statement about the Baal HaTanya is uncharacteristic and reflects his tremendous esteem for the Baal HaTanya, whom he refers to as a "true Gaon". He is known to have stated that since the conclusion of the Talmud, there were only two who reached the true depth of understanding of the Talmudic sages - the Rambam and the Baal HaTanya.
In the body of the letter, the Rogatchover relates to R. Landau's request, presumably regarding a recommendation for a rabbinical position he was offered. The Rogatchover replies that his practice is not to intercede, but if asked, he will surely recommend him highly (regarding the rabbinical position offered to R. Landau, see item 452).
The letter was published in the Yagdil Torah anthology.
[1] leaf. 27.5 cm. Stains. Minor tears and folding marks.

The Rogatchover - R. Yosef Rosen Rabbi of Dvinsk, Author of Tzofnat Pane'ach
R. Yosef Rosen (1858-1936) - known as the Rogatchover (after his birth town Rogatchov-Rahachow), was a Chabad-Kopust follower. His father took him as a child to the Tzemach Tzedek, who blessed him with exceptional scholarliness and instructed him to study Tractate Nazir (some say this was the reason the Rogatchover did not cut his hair). In his youth, he was a disciple of R. Yosef Dov Ber Soloveitchik, author of Beit HaLevi, alongside the latter's son R. Chaim of Brisk. From 1889, he served as rabbi of the Chabad Chassidic community in Dvinsk (Daugavpils), Latvia, alongside the Or Same'ach, a position he held for 40 years. A remarkable figure renowned for his tremendous sharpness and genius, he was well-versed in all areas of the Torah, down to its finest details, producing profound definitions, hypotheses and original methods of Torah study. Tales of his genius and indescribable diligence abound. His legendary brilliance was also highly regarded by the secular world in his days and Bialik reputedly said that "two Einsteins could be carved out from the mind of the Rogatchover". The Rogatchover dealt extensively in explaining the teachings of the Rambam and wrote numerous halachic responsa. His responsa and novellae were published in his Tzofnat Pane'ach series. His printed books are a small part of the incessant flow of the inexhaustible fountain of his Torah. Due to the profundity of his teachings and his concise, cryptic style of writing, several projects have risen in recent generations to decipher and explain his teachings, resulting in the publishing of annotated editions of his works.