Autographed Letter by Rabbi Zundel Salant with Torah Giants of Jerusalem to Sir Moses Montefiore
Jerusalem, 1855
Letter of blessings and confirmation of receipt of charity funds sent by Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi of Mecklenburg (Germany), for the Ashkenazic congregation in Jerusalem, via the righteous Jewish philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore.
The letter is signed by Rabbi Zundel Salant, a close talmid of Rabbi Chaim of Volzhin (see below).
Signed together with him, in a rare occurrence, are the most prominent Ashkenazi Rabbanim of Jerusalem of that era: Rabbi Yeshaya Bardaki, Rabbi Shmuel Salant and Rabbi Uri Shabsai ben Chaim.
The last two signatories are sons-in-law of Rabbi Zundel Salant!
At the bottom of the letter there is an added personal greeting to the renowned secretary of Montefiore—Rabbi Eliezer HaLevi, a disciple of the Chasam Sofer—signed once again (!) by Rabbi Yeshaya Bardaki and Rabbi Shmuel Salant.
Rabbi Yeshaya Bardaki (1790–1862) was a leader of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem and a disciple of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. He journeyed to Tzfas in 1810, but following the devastating earthquake of 1837, he moved to Jerusalem, where he assumed leadership of the Ashkenazic community. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Yisrael of Shklov, author of ‘Pe’as HaShulchan’.
Rabbi Zundel Salant (1786–1866) was one of the prime disciples of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin who instilled in him the lessons that he had learned directly from his master the Vilna Gaon. Harav Zundel thus became known as the “third mouth [generation] from the Gr”a”. He was the father-in-law of Rabbi Shmuel Salant, future leader of the Jewish community in Jerusalem and the primary Rebbi of the father of the mussar movement, Rabbi Yisrael of Salant.
Rabbi Shmuel Salant (1816-1909) was the legendary Rav of Yerushalayim and leader of the Ashkenazic community for close to a half-century. He journeyed to the Holy Land in 1841 where he served in various spiritual leadership positions and directed myriad Torah and charity institutions in Jerusalem for seventy years.
Jerusalem, 1855. Date established based on postal stamps, from December 1855.
Size: 26.8×21.5 cm. Thin bluish paper.
Condition: Good. Small marginal tears and filing holes.
The paper is folded, with the reverse serving as an envelope. Written on it is Montefiore’s address in foreign script, alongside a Hebrew inscription:
“To the exalted and glorious, our most cherished friend, the renowned and praiseworthy nobleman, His Honor Sir (!) Moshe Montefiore, may he be guarded and protected, in the illustrious city of London.”
