Emek Berachah. Excommunication Controversy in Jerusalem. Extremely Rare.

Emek Berachah. Excommunication Controversy in Jerusalem. Extremely Rare.

Emek Berachah - Jerusalem, 1881-1882. Rare book by the gaon Rabbi David Friedman, renowned rabbi of Karlin and one of the leading adjudicators in Lithuania, known by his nickname, "Rabbi David Karliner." In the book, he comes out in defense of his brother-in-law, the infamous maskil Yechiel Michel Pines, who was excommunicated by the rabbinic leaders of Jerusalem. Stormy polemic book about a controversy in Jerusalem.

This book is extremely rare  - as a result of zealous residents of Jerusalem who burned its copies. The title pages and introductions (authored by Pines) were torn out of those copies that did survive, out of respect for Rabbi David of Karlin. The copy before us was bound at the end of an important book of responsa, and apparently this is the reason it survived in the best possible way, including the title page and the introduction.

Yechiel Michel Pinchas was born in a suburb of Grodno, Belarus, where he served as rosh yeshivah and would often write publicity articles for the press. In 1878, Pines was appointed by the "Moses Montefiore Memorial Committee" to be their representative in the Land of Israel. When he arrived in Jerusalem, he was received with respect in most circles. Pines, who presented with a rabbinic appearance and would sit all day wrapped in tallit and tefilin, initially misled rabbinic leaders of Jerusalem as to his true character. Within a short time, Pines established an institution that integrated studying a trade alongside Torah, which was completely opposed to the spirit of Jerusalem rabbis. Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin and other Jerusalem rabbis then punished Pines with the worst possible punishment - excommunication. Following this excommunication, Pines' brother-in-law, Rabbi David of Karlin, published this book before us in which he comes out in Pines' defense. In the book, he attacks the matter and writes a comprehensive halachic clarification on the matter of excommunications, decrees and community regulations per the responsa of the ancients, and determines that there is no basis for this excommunication. The gaon Rabbi Shmuel Salant shared Rabbi David of Karlin's opinion and reversed the excommunication.

Pines was the one who printed the book before us. He added a lengthy compilation at the beginning, something of an introduction to the book, but in his deviousness, he did not tell Rabbi David of Karlin about this introduction. After some time, when Rabbi David of Karlin found out about the introduction Pines wrote to the book, he came out against the introduction that appears before us, in writing and orally.

[1], 12, 15, 14 leaves, 21 cm. Sh. HaLevi, Sifrei Yerushalayim HaRishonim 377.

Fine-very fine condition.

Bound with: Zichron Yehudah - responsa by Rabbeinu Yehudah ben HaRo"sh and other ancients, published from manuscript ... Berlin, 1846. [5] 61 leaves.