Certificate for a Student from Rabbi Shaul Brach of Nitra
Kosice, 1928
A certificate awarded by Rabbi Shaul to a student who excelled in his studies. This is a small and rare document with interesting content!
Rabbi Shaul writes:
"With the help of Hashem, the bearer of this document, the intelligent young man Gedalia Schwartz, studied here this past winter and conducted himself well. He applied himself with all his strength to his studies and showed great progress in his learning, and at every weekly examination, he demonstrated complete mastery of his studies. Kosice, Monday of the Torah portion Tetzaveh, 1928. Hakatan [the humble] Shaul Brach of Nitra."
"At every weekly examination" refers to the famous tests Rabbi Shaul conducted with hundreds of students every Thursday night until his final years, which lasted several continuous hours each time (as detailed below).
At that time, Rabbi Shaul was at the peak of his influence, after decades of leadership, and such a certificate held great value in Hungary.
Rabbi Shaul Brach of Nitra, Av Beis Din of Kosice (1865-1940), was among the leading Hungarian sages in the pre-Holocaust era and a prolific author who established a large yeshivah and cultivated hundreds of talmidim. As a prime disciple of both Maharam Schick and the Chasam Sofer, he was renowned for his zealous pursuit of truth and battles to preserve tradition. He studied chassidus under the Yitav Lev of Satmar, the Shinova Rebbe and Belzer Rebbes.
Kosice, 1928. Entirely in the handwriting of Rabbi Shaul, with his stamp. Size: 10.7×17 cm.
Condition: Good.
A Remarkable Description of Rabbi Shaul’s Tests
With great emotion, one of Rabbi Shaul’s students, Rabbi Yisrael Ehrlich, describes the extraordinary tests in yeshiva:
"At times, Rabbeinu would test the students on the sugya they had learned, along with the commentaries, on Thursday night after Tikkun Chatzos. Fortunate is the eye that merited to see [this]! After singing the melody ‘Odeh La-Kel, ‘ Rabbeinu would take his seat where he learned and tested us. Around him sat hundreds of students, and he tested them for four to five consecutive hours; in the summer months until dawn. Due to the late hour and unique setting, the Beis Medrash was filled with an elevated atmosphere, overflowing with supreme joy. Every student felt privileged when Rabbeinu called his name to step forward and be tested…" (Shaul Bechir Hashem, p. 192).
