"Morenu" Certificate from R. Yehuda Grünwald Rabbi of Satmar - Satmar, 1909

"Morenu" Certificate from R. Yehuda Grünwald Rabbi of Satmar - Satmar, 1909
Letter handwritten and signed by R. Yehuda Grünwald Rabbi of Satmar, to his disciple R. Yosef Shlomo Wachtenheim. Satmar, Tevet 1909.
Letter of recommendation and "Morenu" certificate accorded to a student of his yeshiva, Yosef Shlomo Wachtenheim, on the occasion of his wedding: "…who studied in our yeshiva for several consecutive years, all equal for the good, he rose onwards and upwards… and now, the day of his nuptials has come, and I wish to honor him with a crown which is becoming of him… Morenu Yosef Shlomo… I set my hand to this in the honor of the Torah, and in honor of this beloved student, here Satmar… Yehuda Grünwald". Alongside the signature, a faded stamp: "Yehuda Grünwald Rabbi of Satmar and the vicinity".
R. Yehuda Grünwald (1848-1920), author of Zichron Yehuda, a leading rabbi and yeshiva dean in Hungary. An outstanding Torah scholar, renowned since his youth as a holy, G-d fearing man. A disciple of the Ketav Sofer, and son-in-law of the latter's brother R. Yozpa Sofer son of the Chatam Sofer (his teacher the Ketav Sofer acclaimed him at his wedding as "Holy of Holies"). Already as a student, he was a close friend of his fellow students R. Chaim Sonnenfeld (later rabbi of Jerusalem) and R. Moshe Grünwald (later rabbi of Khust, author of Arugat HaBosem), and maintained close ties with them throughout his life. He served as rabbi of Sobotište and Bonyhád, and in 1898, was appointed rabbi of Satmar. Wherever he served as rabbi he also maintained a large yeshiva, which in Satmar numbered hundreds of students, many of whom later served as rabbis and dayanim in Hungary and Romania (his renowned disciples include: R. Yosef Nechemia Kornitzer Rabbi of Selish and Kraków; R. Shemaya Löw Rabbi of Kerestir; R. Chaim Betzalel Paneth Rabbi of Reteag; R. Moshe David Ostreicher Rabbi of Cimpa; R. Naftali Herztke Hönig Rabbi of Sharmash [Sărmaşu]; and others).
During his tenure as rabbi of Satmar, the community seceded from the Neologs, with the Orthodox faction maintaining control over the existing community institutions, while the Neologs established their independent community. This transformed Satmar into the stronghold of Orthodox Jewry in the region, headed by R. Yehuda Grünwald, who was renowned from his youth as a staunch defender of faithful Orthodox Judaism. When R. Yoel Teitelbaum settled in Satmar as a recently married young Torah scholar, he was held in high esteem by R. Yehuda Grünwald, who drew him close and supported him financially. When slanderers tried contending that R. Yoel was not truly needy, since he distributed much money to charity, R. Yehuda was moved, and exclaimed that in such a case, he was even more needy, and he thereafter increased his regular support. Years later, when R. Yoel served as rabbi of Satmar, he was very careful not to alter the halachic customs of the Shechita in the city, which were based on the holy instructions of the Zichron Yehuda.
[1] double leaf. 23 cm. Good condition. Folding marks and light wear.