Lengthy letter (3 leaves) handwritten and signed by R. Baruch Dov (Ber) Leibowitz, dean of the Beit Yitzchak yeshiva in Kamenets. [Kamenets], Nisan 1933.
Addressed to his relative R. Yechezkel Abramsky, Rabbi of the Machazikei HaDat community in London, calling for assistance for the Kamenets yeshiva, which was in dire financial shape.
"I hereby request that you have mercy on our holy yeshiva, which is looking in hope for the mercy of the Jewish people to heal the crushed spirit of our holy Torah. If we are not for ourselves, who will come to G-d's help to uphold His Torah now?... For Him it is fitting to come and join the crushed spirit of the holy Torah, and to be of help and support, and how amazing will one's reward be…". R. Baruch Ber recounts the difficulties in attaining an entrance visa to England for "my son-in-law, as my son, R. Yitzchak Turetz", and he hopes: "May G-d grant my son-in-law success to feed the students who toil in Torah day and night in learning and study…". He goes on to beg R. Abramsky to join the support for the yeshiva: "…Therefore, if we, G-d forbid, ignore this Torah work, what will be of the Torah? What of making holy flocks who will recount G-d's might even to the coming generation? Therefore I beg, on behalf of the holy Torah, of its beloved son, namely you, for my pleas on its behalf to pierce your ears, and for you to strengthen yourself as a lion to forbear all of your personal cares and concerns, and with G-d's help, may G-d do miracles for you… And your words will certainly be accepted for the service of G-d, and there will be support for the great house where Torah and fear of G-d have been cultivated, thank G-d, for some fifty years…".
At the beginning and end of the letter are warm blessings. At the beginning of the letter R. Baruch Ber blesses him: "May the Supreme One bless you and your family, the modest Rebbetzin, my wife's relative, with all of your offspring, may you enjoy satisfaction and pleasure all your days for lengthy days and years, and may there be great blessing to all who take refuge in the shade of your Torah, may they be blessed forever, and may we all soon see our redemption and the coming of our Messiah speedily in our days, Amen".
In the conclusion of the letter (on the third leaf), R. Baruch Ber blesses him to have his sons escape from exile in Russia and reach him in England: "I, your relative, seeking your welfare, bless you to have peace from all sides, and may G-d grant you success to have you sons return to you whole and healthy, and may you and the Rebbetzin have satisfaction, and may we merit to see the salvation of Israel and the coming of our Messiah, speedily in our days, Amen, Baruch Dov Leibowitz, dean of the holy Beit Yitzchak yeshiva. Eve of 29th Nisan, 1933".
R. Baruch Dov (Ber) Leibowitz (1864-1939), author of Birkat Shmuel, leading Torah disseminator in his times. He was a disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk in the Volozhin yeshiva, and the son-in-law of R. Avraham Yitzchak Zimmerman, Rabbi of Hlusk (son-in-law of R. Yaakov Moshe Direktor, Rabbi of Novaya Mysh). After his father-in-law went to serve as rabbi of Kremenchuk, he succeeded him in Hlusk and established a yeshiva. After a 13-year tenure, he was asked to head the Knesset Beit Yitzchak yeshiva in Slabodka. During World War I, he wandered with the yeshiva to Minsk, Kremenchuk and Vilna, before finally settling in Kamenets. He authored Birkat Shmuel on Talmudic topics. His teachings and writings are classics of in-depth yeshiva study.
The recipient of the letter, R. Yechezkel Abramsky, Rabbi of Slutsk and London (1886-1976), was a relative of R. Baruch Ber by marriage, as Rebbetzin Beila Zimmerman of Kremenchhuk, R. Baruch Ber's mother-in-law, was the sister of R. Yisrael Yaakov Yerushalimsky, R. Abramsky's father-in-law.
[3] leaves. Official stationery. 28-29 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Folding marks. Small marginal tears.
