Letters by Rabbi Shmuel Salant, Rabbi Yeshaya Bardakey and Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib of Kutna - Jerusalem, 1857

Letters by leading Jerusalem rabbis and leaders of the Ashkenazi yishuv, regarding the slander of a manager of one of Montefiore's factories. Jerusalem, [1857].
· Letter of the Beit Din of the Ashkenazi Perushim Kollel, signed by R. "Shmuel Salant", R. "Mordechai Meir son of R. Eliyahu [R. Mordechai Meir Robinerson Rabbi of Mezhyrich] and R. "Binyamin David of Vilna", who write that after investigating the matter, it became clear that no truth exists in the defamation of the factory manager. "Therefore, according to Torah law, it is forbidden to disparage ---, on the contrary, every G-d fearing person must guard his soul from speaking about this as not to transgress the prohibition of slandering one's fellow Jew".
Following is another letter, signed by the leader of the yishuv, R. Yeshaya Bardakey [son-in-law of R. Yisrael of Shklow, disciple of the Vilna Gaon], who signed: "Yeshaya son of Yissachar Ber" and he labels the slanderers as foes who lurk to pursue their prey.
At the end of the leaf is a letter from the Beit Din of the Kutna Rabbi and of Kollel Polin, signed by the Kutna Rabbi "Moshe Yehuda Leib son of R. Binyamin", R. "Ya'akov Yehuda son of the Rama Levy" and R. "Baruch Binyamin Ze'ev" Weinstock [disciple of the Chozeh of Lublin].
· Copy of these letters, headed by the inscription: "Copy of the writings given to Sir R. Moshe Montefiore during his visit in 1857... and he asked R. Yeshaya and R. Shmuel Salant if the matter is true and they responded… it is his enemies who have spread the rumor... and he requested that they give it to him in writing…".
· Long letter by Sephardi rabbis, with signatures of R. Ya'akov Ginio, R. Refael Shalom HaLevi and R. David Yehuda HaCohen. Sent to the Beit Din of the Perushim community presenting testimonies which they received against the abovementioned person. Jerusalem, 1857.
3 documents, size varies. Good condition. The name of the slandered person was erased from all the documents.