Letter by Rabbi Yosef Shaul Nathansohn Author of Sho'el U'Meshiv – Concerning the Writings of the Vilna Gaon

Letter by Rabbi Yosef Shaul Nathansohn Author of Sho'el U'Meshiv – Concerning the Writings of the Vilna Gaon
Letter (9 lines) handwritten and signed by R. "Yosef Shaul HaLevi Nathansohn Rabbi of Lvov and its region". [Lvov (Lviv)], Erev Pesach 1857.
Response to the "Harav HeCharif" R. Wolf Schiff, son-in-law of R. Akiva Eger regarding a manuscript of the book Maase Torah by the Vilna Gaon, sent to him by R. Wolf to review and add his comments: "…Regarding the precious notebook by… R. Eliyahu of Vilna, I greatly enjoyed the merit of seeing the glory of this manuscript. Regarding your request that I write notations… I yearn to write, by what can I do… the yoke of the community weighs heavily upon me with increasing burdens… If after Pesach I find respite, I will look at it and afterward inform you…".
In 1864, the book Maase Torah by the Vilna Gaon was first printed in Warsaw by R. Noach Chaim Levine. In an interesting approbation, the Sho'el U'Meshiv writes (see enclosed photocopy): "I also have this manuscript from 1855 from the time I was in Königsberg, home to the venerable R. Wolf Schiff son-in-law of …R. Akiva Eiger… However, he could not fully comprehend… and he said that his father-in-law too, upon seeing the manuscript was amazed… I requested that he send it to me and in 1857, he sent me the notebook with many notations, I too made many notations, but time did not allow me to pursue the task and I left the matter until I find a convenient time…".
R. Yosef Shaul Nathansohn, author of Sho'el U'Meshiv (1808-1875), was an illustrious Galician Torah scholar. In his youth, he and his brother-in-law Rabbi Mordechai Ze'ev Ettinger wrote the renowned books Mefarshei HaYam on Tractate Bava Kamma and Magen Giborim on the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim. He wrote thousands of responsa and many books: 15 volumes of the Sho'el U'Meshiv responsa; Divrei Shaul on the Torah, on the Rambam and on the Shulchan Aruch, Yedot Nedarim, and more. From 1857, he served as Chief Rabbi of the Lvov community which was the largest and most important community in Galicia. At his death, he was eulogized by Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Spitzer (son-in-law of the Chatam Sofer) who said: "Exceptional Torah genius, Rabbi of Israel… all the Torah leaders of our times sent him difficult questions… was raised in holiness to Torah study and G-d's service… Forty years ago, my father-in-law, my teacher, the Chatam Sofer praised him exceedingly…".
[1] leaf. 17X9 cm. Approx. 9 autograph lines with his signature. + [1] leaf with inscription of the addressee. 10X9 cm. 3 autograph lines. The two leaves are attached to each other with a strip of adhesive tape. Good-fair condition. Creases and small tears. Hole in the middle of the text (caused by wax-seal on verso).