Lengthy, Historic Letter from Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik Chaver – Protest and Response to the Reform Rabbinical ...

Lengthy, Historic Letter from Rabbi Yitzchak Eizik Chaver – Protest and Response to the Reform Rabbinical Conference of Brunswick – With Variations in Comparison to the Printed Version
Lengthy letter (3 pages) handwritten and signed by R. Yitzchak Eizik Chaver. Tiktin (Tykocin), 22nd Tevet 1845.
Historic letter written by R. Yitzchak Eizik Chaver in response to the famous Reform Rabbinical Conference of Brunswick (Braunschweig) in 1844. In this first official conference convened by reformers, far-reaching decisions were reached regarding the abolishment of commandments and customs, amendments to the prayer services, and other reforms. Amongst others, the reformers announced that inter-faith marriage between Jews and Christians was no longer prohibited, abolished Shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah and the recital of Kol Nidrei on Yom Kippur, authorized the consumption of Kitniyot (legumes) on Passover and more.
This conference marked a turning point in the attitude of Orthodox Jewry to Reform. The conference aroused a wave of protest from all European rabbis. R. Tzvi Hirsh Lehren (head of the Pekidim and Amarkalim) and R. Avraham Eliyahu Prins of Amsterdam collected protest letters from foremost rabbis, to be published in a special book (similar to Eleh Divrei HaBrit which was published several years earlier, in 1819, in response to the inauguration of the Reform temple in Hamburg). R. Tzvi Hirsh Lehren and R. Avraham Prins issued an appeal to the leading rabbis of the generation, requesting they write their opinion on the Brunswick conference and send it to them. Over 70 rabbis, including leaders of the generation, responded and expedited lengthy protest letters. The letters were compiled into a book, published in two parts in Amsterdam, in Adar I and Nissan 1845, under the title Torat HaKenaot.
This letter is one of the letters sent to R. Tzvi Hirsh Lehren and R. Avraham Prins, and contains R. Yitzchak Eizik Chaver's lengthy and sharp denunciation of the decisions the reformers instituted, with the addition of detailed explanations of their mistakes and the destruction their actions would engender.
R. Yitzchak Eizik writes sharply of the "society of sinful and wicked men, heretics and apostates… who convened a meeting of empty-headed fools, emissaries of lust and desire… to uproot and undermine… the commandments of our holy Torah…". He expounds upon the authority and validity of the Oral Law, and on the obligation to adhere to laws and customs down to the finest details, strongly condemning the "absolute wicked whose sole wish is to give free rein to their passion for all kinds of sins…". R. Yitzchak Eizik proclaims that "there is not a single Jew who has the authority to abolish anything, not even one custom from our holy rites…".
This letter was published in Torat HaKenaot, but upon comparison between the printed version and the original letter, it appears that several changes were made before printing. Most of the printing variations consist of moderating the sharp terms R. Yitzchak Eizik used in his letter (see enclosed material for comparison).
R. Yitzchak Eizik Chaver (1787-1852), a transmitter of the kabbalistic teachings of the Gaon of Vilna. At the young age of 14, R. Menachem Mendel of Shklow (disciple of the Gaon of Vilna) deemed him suited to study Kabbalah. He earnt the reputation of an extraordinary erudite in all realms of the Torah, while still very young, and served as rabbi in several prominent communities: Pruzhany, Rozinoi (Ruzhany), Volkavisk (Vawkavysk). Between 1837-1849, he served as rabbi of Tiktin, and then moved over to serve as rabbi of Suvalk (Suwałki), a position he held for four years. An outstanding Torah scholar, amongst the leading rabbis of his generation, and foremost halachic authority. He completed the Talmud 60 times. He authored dozens of books on revealed and esoteric realms of the Torah, of which only some were published, including many kabbalistic books of the teachings of the Gaon of Vilna and responsa on halachic and Talmudic topics.
[2] leaves (3 written pages). 27 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Folding marks. Address ("Hersch Lehrn" in Amsterdam) and stamps on verso.