Letter of Recommendation and Good Wishes Handwritten and Signed by Rebbe Itzik'l of Pshevorsk - Recommendation for ...

Letter of Recommendation and Good Wishes Handwritten and Signed by Rebbe Itzik'l of Pshevorsk - Recommendation for Assisting a Descendant of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk
A letter (24 lines) handwritten and signed by Rebbe Moshe Yitzchak Gewirtzman, R. Itzik'l of Pshevorsk. Antwerp, [ca. 1950s-1970s].
The letter opens with heartfelt blessings (in Yiddish and Hebrew) upon receiving funds from a London philanthropist sent by the recipient of the letter. The rebbe cites an interesting saying (in Yiddish) in the name of his father the rebbe, who often cited an ancient custom of giving "leiz-geld" [a tip] to a good emissary who brings mishlo'ach manot on Purim. Therefore, the rebbe writes, I give the good emissary "the blessing of a simple person [himself] and leiz-geld for your mission, that you and your wife and children should be healthy and strong, happy and content, and you should raise your children with ease and plenty".
Further in the letter, the rebbe requests to raise more funds for a respectable Jerusalem Jew, a descendant of R. Elimelech of Lizhensk, who arrived in Europe to collect charity. The rebbe apologizes for this request, "although I abstain from intervening on behalf of charitable matters because I understand that you have many charitable causes", however, he requests that he make efforts for this cause since this needy Jerusalem Jew has been delayed in Antwerp and did not travel to London, "because he saw that I was very ill and suffering greatly… he dedicated all his time to tend to me faithfully and resuscitated myself and my family… therefore, I have the obligation not to send him empty-handed to his home, hence I request that you forgive me and speak to the philanthropist… and quickly collect at least a couple of hundred dollars… because next week, he will be leaving. Moshe Yitzchak, descendant of R. Elimelech, his merit shall protect us and all the Jewish People, Amen".
The holy R. Moshe Yitzchak Gewirtzman, known as Rebbe Itzik'l of Pshevorsk (1882-Yom Kippur 1976), was a fifth-generation descendant of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk. He was a close Chassid of R. Yechezkel of Sieniawa, and of his son, the Divrei Simcha of Cieszanów. Served as Rebbe of Przeworsk. Survived the Holocaust in Siberian exile and thereafter traveled via Poland and France and settled in Antwerp, Belgium. Known for his holiness and for his exceptional abstention and self-denial (for decades he never lay on a bed and would sleep in a sitting position), he followed in the footsteps of his illustrious ancestor, author of the Noam Elimelech, who incorporated devotion to G-d's service with charitable deeds to his fellow Jews. Thousands flocked to his court seeking his wise counsel as well as his prayers on behalf of the ill and suffering. Famed for the charitable acts he performed, he distributed large sums of money to needy Jews throughout the world.
Official stationery. 21.5 cm. Good condition. Wear and folding marks.