Letter Handwritten and Signed by Rabbi Elazar Kalir, Author of Or Chadash – To his Disciple Rabbi Shmuel Kauder ...

Letter Handwritten and Signed by Rabbi Elazar Kalir, Author of Or Chadash – To his Disciple Rabbi Shmuel Kauder, Author of Olat Shmuel – Cheshvan, 1794
Letter handwritten and signed by R. Elazar Kalir rabbi of Rechnitz and Kolin. [Kolin], 17th Cheshvan, 1794.
Letter (one leaf folded in half) with words of inspiration and friendship, sent to "Rabbi Shmuel Leib of Prague" (apparently, R. Shmuel Leib Kauder of Prague, author of Olat Shmuel).
R. Elazar opens his letter with praise of his disciple's Torah knowledge and diligence and writes that he is enclosing a copy of his book Or Chadash on tractate Pesachim (Frankfurt an der Oder, 1776) with his letter. He ends the letter with words of inspiration: " Do not forsake G-d's Torah and rely on G-d, and honor will be forthcoming".
The name of the recipient and his address are written on verso of the letter: "To Prague… R. Shmuel Leib". Apparently, this letter has never been printed.
R. Elazar Kalir (1738-1801) was one of the most renowned Torah scholars of his times. He served as rabbi of Zablodove, Rechnitz (1768-1781) and Kolin (1781-1801). In each place he also served as yeshiva dean. He edified many disciples and many of the rabbis of his generation were his close disciples. He corresponded extensively with the Noda BiYehuda and dozens of responsa in the Responsa Noda BiYehuda are addressed to him. The Noda BiYehuda esteemed him greatly although R. Elazar was decades younger than him and in one responsum addresses him with many honorary titles. In his approbation to the book Or Chadash on Pesachim, the Noda BiYehuda writes that R. Elazar's novellae befit the Rishonim. R. Baruch Jeitteles, a Prague Torah scholar, writes in the preface to his book Taam HaMelech of R. Elazar's high stature in Central
Europe after the passing of R. Yechezkel Landau: "After the death of the Noda BiYehuda, R. Elazar, author of the Or Chadash books, became the leader of the Jewish People, the one individual in our country to whom all eyes turn and many Prague Torah scholars consider him a halachic authority".
He authored: Or Chadash on the Torah (Fürth, 1766), Or Chadash on tractate Pesachim (Frankfurt an der Oder, 1776), Or Chadash on tractate Kiddushin (Vienna, 1769), Chavat Yair HeChadash (Prague, 1792) and Responsa Cheker Halacha (Vienna, 1838).
R. Shmuel Kauder (1766-1838) was one of the leading Torah scholars in Prague. He was a close associate of R. Betzalel Ronsburg, and dayan in his Beit Din in Prague. He was a prime disciple of R. Michael Bacharach Rabbi of Prague, and later of R. Elazar Kalir author of Or Chadash (R. Shmuel writes about this in the preface to his book Olat Shmuel, and in another place in his book, he calls his teacher R. Elazar "Rabbi of the entire Diaspora"). He resided in Kalady (Koloděje), and from 1812 served as rabbi in the communities of Tábor and Budweis (České Budějovice) in Bohemia. In 1835 he was appointed head of the Prague Beit Din, where he disseminated Torah and was renowned as a prominent halachic authority. Of his many writings, only Responsa Olat Shmuel (on Orach Chaim), Ahavat Emet (homily) and Zikaron BaSefer (on tractate Megillah) were published.
[1] double leaf. 22 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. Folding marks.