Shadarut Letter by the Sages of Hebron, Headed by Rabbi Chaim Avraham Yisrael Ze'evi – Hebron, 1730

Shadarut Letter by the Sages of Hebron, Headed by Rabbi Chaim Avraham Yisrael Ze'evi – Hebron, 1730

Letter by the sages of Hebron "Pidyon Shevuyim". Hebron, 1730.

The letter was sent in the hands of the Shadarim (emissaries of the rabbis) Rabbi Chaim Yosef Elyashar and Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Orcha. To the Ancona community, its rabbis, philanthropists and leaders, requesting their help to the residents of Hebron. In the letter, the rabbis write that the communities of Kushta, Izmir and Egypt had already contributed "ten thousand pesos. Yet the danger has not yet been removed since we are still mortgaged for fifteen thousand…and our suffering is common knowledge since we have reached the gates of death by the hands of the cruel gentiles … and our cry has reached heaven…"

The letter is signed by rabbi Yisrael Ze'evi 1655-1731, author of "Urim Gedolim", the grandson of Rabbi Avraham Azulai author of "Chessed L'Avraham"), Rabbi Yisrael Hacohen (died before 1740, one of the sages of Hebron), Rabbi Meir Gedalya, Rabbi Avraham Ben Orcha, Rabbi Yosef Kastil and Rabbi Yehuda Shlomo.

Beneath these signatures, the sages of Hebron added 9 lines (handwritten by Rabbi Chaim Yosef Elyashar) signed by them in which they write that they will not be able to come to Ancona since the gentiles had given them a time extension of two years, of which 18 months have already passed and if they travelled to Ancona they will not be able to keep the schedule. In the letter, the Shadarim ask that the donation be sent to Hebron to Rabbi Nechemya Chai Hacohen. The letter with the addition was sent by the rabbis the Shadarim from Ferrara to Ancona in 1733.

The letter and their mission in Ancona do not appear in Ya'ari's book "Shluchei Eretz Yisrael".

[1] folded leaf written on one page. 22x30cm. Quality leaf. Very good condition.