Auction 63 Rare and Important Items
Nov 13, 2018 (Your local time)
Israel
 8 Ramban St, Jerusalem.
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LOT 38:

Letter of Halachic Responsum from the Ridvaz, Rabbi of Slutsk and Safed

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Lengthy letter handwritten and signed by R. Yaakov David Ridvaz. [Safed?], Shevat 1909.
Lengthy halachic responsum, regarding a "dispensation of one hundred rabbis" for a man whose wife does not conform with Jewish law. The letter itself consists of 27 lines in his handwriting, with some 30 lines of additions, written in the margins, between the lines and on the verso of the leaf.
The Ridvaz – R. Yaakov David Willowsky (1845-1913), was a prominent Torah scholar renowned since his youth as a leading Torah scholar in his generation. He served as rabbi in several places, including Slutsk, Chicago and Safed. He would commonly sign with the acronym Ridvaz (which originally stood for Rinat Yaakov David Ben Zev, yet later, when the name Refael was added to him during an illness, it simply stood for his initials Refael Yaakov David Ben Zev. See his preface to his book Responsa Beit Ridvaz). He composed many books, yet his magnum-opus remains his comprehensive commentary on Jerusalem Talmud, and most editions of Jerusalem Talmud include it. His granddaughter married the head of the London Beit Din, R. Yechezkel Abramsky, author of Chazon Yechezkel.
This responsum was published with variations (based on a different manuscript, not including the additions on the verso of this leaf), in Responsa Kerem Ridvaz (Jerusalem 1995).
[1] leaf. 27 cm. Written on both sides. Fair condition. Stains and tears. Repairs to paper.

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