Letter from Rabbi Tevele of Lissa - To the Lissa Community Leaders - Horchov, 1774

Lengthy, interesting letter from the renowned Torah scholar R. David Tevele Rabbi of Lissa (Leszno), addressed to the Lissa community leaders prior his arrival to serve as rabbi of the city. Horchov (Horokhiv, Galicia), 17th Tammuz 1774. This letter was written at the end of his tenure as rabbi of Horchov, and in his signature, he already refers to himself as rabbi of Lissa: "David Tevele of Brody, rabbi of Lissa". R. David Tevele writes of his plans to travel to Lissa before Rosh Hashanah, and of a G-d fearing cantor he wishes to bring with him to Lissa, to lead the prayers during the High Holidays. Most of the letter is written by a scribe, apart from the five concluding lines, which R. David Tevele wrote himself: "And I do not yet know myself if I will be able to travel to your community for the High Holidays, since a date has not yet been fixed for my son's wedding, nevertheless, hurry to inform me, since perhaps G-d will help and I will succeed in reaching your community in time… David Tevele of Brody, rabbi of Lissa". On the second leaf of the letter, poetic inscription of the address, handwritten by R. David Tevele. R. David Tevele, rabbi of Lissa (d. Tevet 1792), a leading Torah scholar in the times of the Noda BiYehuda. He was the son of R. Natan Notte, rabbi of Brody, and one of the ten Brody Torah scholars involved in the Cleves divorce polemic. He served as rabbi of Zaslov (Iziaslav) and Horchov, and in ca. 1774 was appointed rabbi of the great city of Lissa. In reality, he only actually arrived in Lissa some year and a half later, and in Av 1775, he was still held up in Horchov. (See Kedem Auction 63, item 14, letter from Av 1775, in which R. David Tevele describes the various events which delayed his long journey from Horchov to Lissa). All the leading Torah scholars of the generation accepted his authority, and from all corners of the country, people came to be judged before him and hear his Torah view. R. David Tevele issued approbations to many books, and letters from him and halachic rulings in his name are quoted in various responsa books. He exchanged halachic correspondence with the leading Torah scholars of his generation, especially with the Noda BiYehuda, R. Meshulam Igra, R. Chaim Kohen of Lvov, R. Meir Posner of Schottland author of Beit Meir, R. Meir Weill of Berlin and R. Akiva Eiger (who was his cherished disciple in Lissa in his youth). One of his famous disciples is R. Baruch Fränkel, author of Baruch Taam. (Another important dayan served in his Beit Din in Lissa, also named David Tevele, and their signatures sometimes appear together on one court ruling, with one signing as "David Tevele son of R. M. of Greiditz", and the other - the rabbi of the city, signing "David Tevele of Brody"). He was reputed for the battles he waged against the Haskalah movement, and became famous for his opposition of the 'enlightened' Naftali Herz Wessely and his books (correspondence between him and the Haflaa on this matter was recently published, see Beit Aharon VeYisrael, 46, pp. 147-156, and 44, pp. 114-131; 45, pp. 127-133). He endeavored to quieten the polemic against the Chassidic movement, his words carrying weight amongst the leaders of his generation. Historic literature of Polish Chassidism includes two stories relating to this: Shem HaGedolim HaChadash (Maarechet Gedolim, Peh, entry R. Pinchas author of Haflaa), records that R. Tzvi Hirsh HaLevi, author of Likutei Tzvi, possessed a letter written by the Haflaa to R. David Tevele of Lissa, requesting the latter speak to R. Yosef of Posnan, to ask his father-in-law, the Noda BiYehuda - rabbi of Prague not to upset the holy R. Michel of Zlotchov, whose intents are solely the sake of Heaven, as R. Shmelke of Nikolsburg testified, therefore he shouldn’t be disrupted from his worship. A different source recounts that when Noda BiYehuda, opposing the book Toldot Yaakov Yosef, wished to issue a ban commanding the book to be burnt, R. Shmelke and his brother the Haflaa wrote to R. Tevele of Lissa requesting he quieten the polemic, and R. Tevele wrote a letter to the Noda BiYehuda asking him not to quarrel with disciples of the Baal Shem Tov and of the Maggid of Mezeritch, whose ways differ from his, yet they intend for the sake of Heaven. The Noda BiYehuda obeyed him and withdrew (Shem HaTov, Piotrków 1905, p. 94, section 85, quoting the introduction to Nefesh David). In his book Nefesh David on the Torah, printed in Premisla (Przemysl) 1878, R. David Tevele quotes a thought in the name of the Maggid of Mezeritch (Nefesh David, Parashat Vayeira, p. 6a). [1] double leaf. Approx. 20 cm. Written by a scribe. 5 concluding lines and 6 lines of the address handwritten and signed by R. David Tevele. Good condition. Stains and folding marks. Minor tears and creases. Wax seal remnants.