Huge collection of letters on various topics, from the archive of R. Mordechai Meir Pollak, Rabbi of Weisskirchen (Hranice), a leading rabbi of the Czech lands and Austria – comprising letters from his teachers, peers and disciples from various time periods, rabbis of Central Europe: Moravia, Austria, Hungary, Germany and other countries in the region. The collection includes Torah letters, controversies on rabbinic issues and the Reform movement, public and private matters, and more. The collection also includes letters, drafts and sermons handwritten by R. Pollak and other rabbis.
The present collection is a historical documentation of a complete generation in Moravia, of rabbis and Torah learners, most of whom studied in Hungarian yeshivas under the Ktav Sofer, while also acquiring a secular education in contemporary universities in Vienna and Prague. Many disciples of the Ktav Sofer whose letters appear in this archive are, for whatever reason, not documented (or only marginally documented) in HaChatam Sofer VeTalmidav, which records generations of students of the Pressburg yeshiva.
R. Mordechai Meir Pollak (1830-1897), born in Kolin, Bohemia (present-day Kolín, Czech Republic), studied under local authority R. Daniel Frank and R. Gedaliah Tiktin, head rabbi of the Breslau Beit Din. He later studied in the Pressburg yeshiva, becoming a close disciple of the Ktav Sofer, as well as a member of his household and tutor to his children. He later returned to his hometown of Kolin, studying for three years in the yeshiva of his teacher R. Daniel Frank Rabbi of Kolin, who granted him rabbinical ordination. He later studied in Prague under R. Shlomo Yehudah Leib Rappaport (Shir; son-in-law of the Ketzot HaChoshen), who also ordained him. In 1858 he became engaged to the daughter of R. Yitzchak Leib Feistadt, disciple of the Chatam Sofer and founder of the Schiffschul in Vienna. Upon his marriage, he was appointed Rabbi of Weisskirchen, Moravia (present-day Hranice, Czech Republic). In 1868 he was appointed Rabbi of Holleschau, Moravia (present-day Holešov, Czech Republic), the city where the Shach had previously served as Rabbi until his death. In his last years, from 1893, he served as the head of the Beit Din in the capital city of Vienna, until his passing on 26th Sivan 1897.
The collection includes:
• Seven letters from his teacher, R. Daniel Frank, Rabbi of Kolin – letters of ordination and recommendation, blessing and friendship, including ordination as "chaver" in 1843 (at the young age of 13[!]), an ordination to issue ritual halachic decisions in 1854, a rabbinic ordination in 1858, and more.
R. Daniel Frank (1796-1860), a leading Moravian rabbi. Disciple of R. Shmuel Leib Kauder, author of Olat Shmuel. Served as dayan and posek in Wotitz (Votice) and Rabbi of Kolin, a position he held until his passing.
• Lengthy Torah letter from R. Shabtai Katz Rappaport, Rabbi of Dąbrowa (ca. 1820-1896), a leading Galician rabbi and a descendant of the Shach. Many of his sons officiated as rabbis of various cities.
• Two letters, written by a scribe with his own signature (shaky, in his later years), of R. Yosef Biach Feilbogen. Strassnitz (Strážnice), 1867-1868. Blessings for appointment of R. Pollak as Rabbi of Holleschau (where R. Feilbogen had previously served for 26 years), and the second a copying of a letter of R. Avraham Chaim brill of Bialystok dated 1841, to R. Yosef, on a fund for Torah scholars in Holleschau.
R. Yosef Biach Feilbogen (1785-1869), son of R. Yaakov Hirsch Biach Feilbogern, Rabbi of Steinitz (Uherský Ostroh), ordained by R. Mordechai Benet Rabbi of Nikolsburg (Mikulov) and served as Rabbi in several important Moravian communities: Piesling (Písečné), Pirnitz (Brtnice), Kanitz (Dolní Kounice), Holleschau (Holešov) and Gross-Meseritsch (Velké Meziříčí). In his later years he moved to Strassnitz (Strážnice), living in the home of his son R. Moshe Shmuel Feilbogen Rabbi of Strassnitz (mentioned in the present letter).
• Letter from R. Isserl Tauber, dayan in Nové Mesto (1823-1904), disciple of the Chatam Sofer.
• Letter of Shlomo Lipman Waldler to his friend Mordechai Meir Pollak. Pressburg, Tamuz 1852. On edge of page, another letter from their friend Mendel Rosenthal of the Pressburg yeshiva. R. Shlomo Lipman Waldler describes the lectures of the Ktav Sofer and the occupied study schedule, apparently in an attempt to convince his friend to return to the Pressburg yeshiva.
R. Shlomo Lipman Waldler (1831-1904), later Rabbi of Kikinda and Trzcianka. Orphaned of his father R. Yaakov Waldler at a young age, he was raised in the home of the Ktav Sofer, later studying in the Pressburg yeshiva and the Eisenstadt yeshiva under R. Azriel Hildesheimer.
• Lengthy Torah letter by Pinchas Weiner[?], studying in the Pressburg yeshiva. In the course of the letter he mentions the suspicious attitude of the Ktav Sofer towards those who joined the Pressburg yeshiva to avoid military conscription.
• Lengthy Torah letter from R. Mordechai Danzig (1833-1922, later Rabbi of Veča), during his studies in the Pressburg yeshiva under the Ktav Sofer. Pressburg, Tamuz 1860.
• Three lengthy letters on issues of Torah, friendship and outlook, by R. Ber Leib Goldberg, a distinguished community member and youth Torah teacher in Pressburg. Pressburg, 1862-1865.
His first letter contains reminiscences of earlier studies with him. The second reveals that he had a part in the authorship of the anonymous pamphlet Ktav Yosher Divrei Emet printed in opposition to Lev HaIvri by R. Akiva Yosef Schlesinger. In this letter he defends his sharp criticism of Lev HaIvri in the pamphlet, explaining his opposition to R. Akiva Yosef Schlesinger's views, as well as the necessity to combat the use of the book by the Haskalah who took the book to represent the unanimous Orthodox view.
• Lengthy letter by R. Yoel Tzvi Benet, his childhood friend in the Pressburg yeshiva on issues of friendship and laws of shaatnez. Paks, Adar I 1875.
R. Yoel Tzvi Benet (1831-1885), son of R. Mendel Benet, dayan in Paks. Disciple of the Ktav Sofer and R. Moshe Schick, with whom he corresponded extensively in responsa.
• Seven letters from R. Asher Kubitschek, disciple of R. Pollak. Mainz, 1874-1878. In one of them, he encloses a letter by the young Shlomo Zalman Breuer (1850-1926), disciple of the Ktav Sofer, and later son-in-law and successor of R. Shimshon Refael Hirsch as Rabbi of Frankfurt. In the letter, R. Shlomo Zalman Breuer advises R. Kubitschek on his decision whether to study in a seminary in Würzburg or Berlin, highlighting the differences in study from Hungarian yeshiva learning, and recommending that he remain in Hungary. In the course of the letter he also describes his personal acquaintance with R. Azriel Hildesheimer and others.
R. Asher Kubitschek studied in the Pressburg yeshiva under the Ktav Sofer and Shevet Sofer, later arriving in Holleschau to study under R. Pollak, also becoming a tutor for his children. In 1877 he moved to Mainz to study Torah under R. Shmuel Bondi (1794-1878), his sons and sons-in-law (including R. Meir Lehman, Rabbi of Mainz).
• Three letters from R. Avraham Placzek, Rabbi of Boskowitz, Moravia. 1862-1875. The letters discuss kashrut and funds for kosher for Passover food for Jewish prisoners.
R. Avraham Placzek, Rabbi of Boskowitz (Boskovice; 1799-1884), a leading rabbi and posek of his generation. When R. Shimshon Refael Hirsch was appointed Rabbi in Frankfurt, he succeeded him as Chief Rabbi of Moravia.
• Four lengthy Torah letters from R. Aharon Friedman (author of Igeret Teshuvah). Weisskirchen, Tishrei 1867-1869.
R. Aharon Friedman, born in Vienna to R. Moshe Yehudah. Studied under R. Yosef Guggenheimer (son-in-law of R. Shimshon Refael Hirsch) and R. Shlomo Yehudah Rappaport (Shir). Served as rabbi of the Schönlatern synagogue in Vienna from the 1880s.
• Seven lengthy and interesting letters from R. Moshe Aryeh Bloch, Rabbi of Leipnik, 1859-1877. Halachic responsa, letter in German, and letter on his appointment as head of the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary, asking for leave to travel.
R. Moshe Aryeh Leib Bloch (1815-1909), author of Shaarei Torat HaTakanot and Shaarei HaMaalot, Rabbi of Leipnik (Lipník), and head of the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary.
• Three letters, and leaf with a poem, by R. Mordechai Hertzka (author of Divrei Chachamim). Olmütz, ca. 1883. Torah thoughts on Purim and poem sent as mishloach manot.
R. Mordechai Hertzka (1810-ca. 1890s), author of Divrei Chachamim (Vienna, 1864), where he is described as a teacher of Torah in Olmütz (Olomouc).
• Sample of Kinor Kodesh, a German translation of Tehillim by Gadl Schwartz (author of Ezer LaMoreh and other books in German), including a copying of an approbation by R. Yosef Weisse Rabbi of Nové Mesto. Erev Shavuot, 1865.
• Four letters from Yom Tov Friedlander, including a lengthy letter responding to the critiques of his teacher R. Pollak on his German preface (on philosophical issues and the kabbalah polemic) to Maaseh Efod, which he had published from manuscript (Vienna, 1865). Vienna and Kolin, 1861-1865. Rashi script.
• Letter from R. Chaim Shimon Perlberger, on his father R. Hirsch Perlberger, community leader in Wieliczka. Wieliczka (Galicia), Tevet 1869.
R. Chaim Shimon Perlberger (d. 1872), community leader in Klasno, son of R. Hirsch Perlberger, community leader in Wieliczka.
• Booklet handwritten by R. Mordechai Meir Pollak (70 pages), sermons on the Torah portions by R. Mordechai Meir Pollak Rabbi of Holleschau, from 1889-1890, including a sermon delivered at the gravesite of the Shach on his yahrzeit in 1890.
• Two drafts of Torah letters addressed by R. Mordechai Meir Pollak to R. Aryeh Adolf Schartz, head of the Vienna Rabbinical Seminary.
• Handwritten booklet by R. Mordechai Meir Pollak, copying of a responsum of R. Mordechai (Maharam) Benet on prayer in a foreign language (partially printed in Pe'er Mordechai, with variants; the present document is another part that appears never to have been printed).
The collection also includes letters from: • R. Aharon Ungar, a leader of the Shomrei Dat community in his city. • R. Yaakov son of R. Avraham Chaim Freiman, publisher of books of Rishonim. • R. David Frankfurter, rabbi and dayan of Holleschau. • R. Yosef Berger of Leipnik. • R. Aharon Leib Winter. • R. Eliezer Lipa Silberman, founder and editor of HaMagid periodical and founder of Mekitzei Nirdamim. • R. Yosef Leib Pollak, shochet in Čachtice and author of Shever Yosef. • And others.
See Hebrew description for a detailed listing of letters.
Over 80 paper items (comprising hundreds of written pages). Varying size and condition. Most letters in overall good condition. Many of the letters contain postmarks, stamps and wax seals. Some of the letters include the original envelope. Due to the extent of the material, the collection has not been thoroughly examined.
