Letter by Rabbi Israel Salant and Letter by Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel – About Publishing the "Tevuna" Compilation ...

Letter by Rabbi Israel Salant and Letter by Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel – About Publishing the "Tevuna" Compilation – Memel, 1861
A letter handwritten and signed by the renowned Torah genius Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel and a letter handwritten and signed by the founder of the Mussar Movement, the renowned Torah leader Rabbi Israel Lipkin of Salant. Memel, [1861].
The letters were sent to Rabbi Zvi Binyamin Auerbach Av Beit Din of Darmstadt, regarding Rabbi Israel of Salant's plan to publish the Tevuna compilation. So Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel writes: "… I have now come for a new matter which in my opinion will find favor in your eyes…that Rabbi Israel Salanter who is now settled in Memel, wishes to publish a weekly booklet full of G-d's blessing and to distribute it among the Jewish people. These booklets will have questions and responses by the Torah leaders of our times, halachic Torah discourses, study of the rules of Torah laws, novellae and explanations of halacha and agadda and the Scriptures. Also, anecdotes and ethical poems to enthuse hearts that wish to cling to God. Rabbi (Israel Salanter) requested me, since he doesn't know Your Honor personally that I come… and ask Your Honor to assist us and send us some crumbs of his dear novellae or Torah discourses and responsa…I have responded to the Rabbi's request and I am beseeching Your Honor and hope that he will favor us and fulfill his request…".
On the leaf margins are several lines of another letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Israel of Salant who himself writes: "Also I ask the Rabbi… Zvi Binyamin…and trust his goodness to fulfill my request and send me as soon as he can his pleasant words…Yisrael of Salant called Lipkin".
Rabbi Israel Lipkin of Salant – founder of the Mussar Movement (1811-1883), son of Rabbi Ze'ev Wolf Ben-Aryeh (Lipkin). A prominent Torah genius of his times and the disciple of the disciples of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. He passed on his Torah to a chosen group of disciples who spread his Torah in all yeshiva circles until our times: Rabbi Simcha Zissel of Kelm (who established his yeshiva by the guidance of his teacher and rabbi), Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer and Rabbi Naftali Amsterdam. The Saba of Slabodka and the Saba of Novardok were his close disciples as well. He founded the Kollel Perushim in Kaunas, and placed his disciples Rabbi Avraham Shanker and Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Levitan at its head.
He stood behind many institutes for strengthening Torah and Mussar study in various countries. During the 1860s, he decided to take action in the countries where the Haskalah movement was rampant, to reinforce Judaism and study of Torah and Mussar. To achieve this, he received German citizenship and changed his attire and language to that of the local population. He lived a few years in Konigsberg and in Memel in Eastern Prussia, and traveled to various places where he spoke in German and brought people closer to Torah and mitzvoth.
During those years, Rabbi Israel of Salant made his first public appearances and to honor the Torah, he founded a podium for Torah works and Mussar novellae in the issues of Tevuna which he published during 1861-1862, one of the first Torah compilations of the Torah world.
This important letter is a significant document of the activities initiated by Rabbi Israel of Salant to raise the banner of Torah and his efforts to connect between Torah leaders in Germany.
Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meisel (1821-1912), was celebrated from his youth as a Torah genius and already at the age of eight [!] entered the Volozhin Yeshiva to study Torah from Rabbi Yitzchak of Volozhin. At the age of 19, he was appointed Rabbi of Gródek, his native city, and in 1851, he was appointed Rabbi of Derechin. Later, he served in the rabbinate of Pruzhany and Lomza and from 1873, served for 40 years in the Lodz rabbinate. Was well known as one of the most prominent Torah leaders of his times in Lithuania and Poland and was famous for his exceptional chesed in redeeming captives and saving needy families from starvation. His gravesite in Lodz is popular as a place for prayer and entreaties and for bringing salvation to the Jewish people and to individuals and is constantly covered with notes.
The recipient: Rabbi Zvi Binyamin Auerbach (1808-1872), served from 1835-1857 as Rabbi of Darmstadt, Germany. After being pursued for many years by reform circles in the city, he resigned from the rabbinate and moved to Frankfurt am Main where he was devoted to his Torah mission of preparing Sefer HaEshkol for print. He copied this book from ancient manuscripts and printed it with his commentary Nachal Eshkol. In 1863, he was appointed Rabbi of Halberstadt. He became one of the greatest Torah leaders of the Orthodox rabbinate in Germany.
28 cm. Bluish thin stationary. Fair condition, minor tears, tape stains. On reverse side of leaf is the address and damaged post stamps.