Letter by Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Naftali Zilberberg - the Tzaddik of Warsaw

Letter by Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Naftali Zilberberg - the Tzaddik of Warsaw

Handwritten and signed letter by Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Naftali Zilberberg [with his personal stamp]. Sent to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld on the second day of Rosh Chodesh Adar [1905].

Rabbi Zilberberg sent 220 francs to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld to be distributed among a group studying in the merit of the soul of Rabbi Yehoshua Levinsky, the rabbi of Breslau, on his yahrtzeit each year for the next twenty years - a fixed amount for each year. He specifies what is to be learned for him and how, as well as how to mark the yahrtzeit: 'His name is R' Yehoshua son of Rabbi Avraham Yehuda HaLevi, the yahrtzeit is on the 25th of Tammuz, ten people ...  should learn mishnahs one hour before minchah in the study hall as above and say the prayer after the learning for the merit of his soul as is customary, say one Kaddish D'Rabbanan, as well as learning for one hour after Shacharit the next day, and one hour before minchah ...' Afterwards, the rabbi specifies the distribution of the money among the scholars, and the conditions, and concludes with the interesting comment, 'And if the gabbai of the above study hall does not want to accept upon himself all this, he should bring the enclosed items to Warsaw Kollel Chassidim called 'Ohel Moshe' ...

Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Naftali Zilberberg [1850-1930] was one of the great rabbis of Warsaw. He studied with Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and the Beit HaLevi. Entrusted by the Netziv of Volozhin and the Chafetz Chaim. Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman was particular to call him "HaGaon HaTzaddik." He dealt with strengthening Shabbat observance and purity, he printed kol koreh posters encouraging observance of halachah. Printed his father's, Rabbi Avraham Binyamin, Av Beit Din of Wiershov's writings, as well as those of his grandfather, the gaon of Kutna, author of Zayit Raanan.

[1] leaf paper 13x21 cm. Written on both sides. Filing holes. Very fine condition.