Letter from Rabbi Chaim Berlin - Kobryn, 1895

Letter handwritten and signed by R. Chaim Berlin. [Kobryn, 1895]. Letter requesting to assist R. Gedalia Leib Kreitman, emissary of the Etz Chaim yeshiva in Jerusalem which was under the superintendence of R. Chaim Berlin ("the Etz Chaim yeshiva, founded by leading Torah scholars of Jerusalem, and whose matters are under my supervision for the past thirty years…"), emphasizing the importance of supporting Torah study in Eretz Israel: "…since no Torah study is comparable to that of Eretz Israel, behold it is our duty… to courageously go out… to bolster this great, holy and lofty matter…", with blessings for "longevity in peace and tranquility… he will continue flourishing in his old age… and his prominence will be raised in his community…". The recipient of the letter is R. Shlomo Dov Ber Filstein, posek in Odessa. His name was erased (scratched away) from the opening sentence of the letter. R. Chaim Berlin (1832-1912), foremost Torah scholar in his generation, was an illustrious Torah figure of Lithuania and Jerusalem. Eldest son of the Netziv of Volozhin. He served as chief rabbi of Moscow, and his Torah influence spread throughout Russia. He served for a while as yeshiva dean and rabbi in Volozhin, and in the rabbinates of Kobryn and Yelisavetgrad (Kropyvnytskyi). He immigrated to Jerusalem in 1906, where he soon became recognized as a leading rabbinic authority in the city. Letter, [2] pages. Approx. 21 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Large tears to margins and folding marks, affecting text, repaired with acidic tape.