Rare Letter from Rabbi Menachem Mendel Lowenstein, Av Beit Din of Rotterdam, Two Months Before his Passing at the ...

Rare Letter from Rabbi Menachem Mendel Lowenstein, Av Beit Din of Rotterdam, Two Months Before his Passing at the Age of 37

Lengthy and important letter [approximately 20 lines] entirely handwritten and signed by the gaon Rabbi Menachem Mendel Lowenstam, av beit din of Rotterdam, to the renowned philanthropist and activist, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Lehren, president of the Clerks and Administrators. Kislev, 1844. Letters from him are very rare!

This letter demonstrates Rabbi Menachem Mendel's noble leadership. He sadly passed away at the age of only 37, two months after he wrote this letter!

The letter discusses a prominent Jewish personality from Rotterdam, who was unfortunately caught by the net of missionaries, and left his wife and three children. Rabbi Menachem, as leader of the community, was shocked by this, and began to take steps to rectify the matter. However, a short time later, this person left Rotterdam for Amsterdam.

This departure should have ostensibly made things easier for Rabbi Menachem, as the man was no longer within his sphere of influence. However, not only did it not make things easier, but Rabbi Menachem was deeply stricken in his pure heart by this, and writes "Woe is to the ears that hear this. I have become very, very depressed. I have dealt with nothing else, not even half of anything else, as he has left the place ..." Given that Rabbi Hirsch was one of the strongest Jewish personalities in Europe in general and in Amsterdam (where he resided) specifically, Rabbi Menachem appeals to Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch to exert his influence to bring said Jew back to the fold.

Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of Rabbi Menachem Mendel b"r Chaim Lowenstam.

[1] leaf paper, 26 cm. Embossed stamp in the lower right corner.

Fine condition. Fold marks. Aging stains. Wear in the upper white margins.