Large assorted collection of handwritten leaves with various writings and Torah thoughts – endpapers of books, notebook pages and portions of letters – including notable ownership inscriptions, homiletical and halachic notes, Chassidut and kabbalah, history and tales, Segulot and cures, and more. [Ashkenazic cursive script, from various countries. Europe and Eretz Israel, ca. 1800s to early 1900s].
The leaves include:
• Leaf with homiletical ideas, dated 3rd Nisan 1816.
• Leaf with outline for a eulogy [ca. 1896] for the Rabbi of Kovno [R. Yitzchak Elchanan, d. 21st Adar 1896], the Rabbi of Minsk [R. Yerucham Leib Perlman, the Gadol of Minsk, d. 7th Shevat 1896], head of the Beit Din of Grodno [R. Yehudah Leib son of R. Yekutiel Zalman Rabinowitz (R. Leib Zalmans), head posek of Grodno, d. 1896], and R. Leib son of R. Yisrael Salanter [R. Aryeh Leib Lipkin son of R. Yisrael Salanter, Rabbi of Brzeziny, author of Chayei Aryeh, d. 22nd Adar 1896].
• Second leaf of Torah thoughts written and signed by R. Moshe Yitzchak Berlin [of Dvinsk], addressed to his father [R. Chaim Berlin, Rabbi of Moscow].
• Leaf with medical recipe (for women's fertility), attributed to "the Gaon Yosef of Dubno".
• Leaf with a notable inscription recounting how one of the leading Chassidic masters immigrated to Eretz Israel and studied in private together with a disciple of the Vilna Gaon (see sidebar).
• And many other leaves.
36 paper items, comprising over 60 written pages. Varying size and condition.
The Chassidic Rebbe Who Immigrated to Eretz Israel and Secretly Studied with a Disciple of the Vilna Gaon
In this interesting and unknown story, inscribed on the endpaper of a Chassidic book, the book's author [probably one of the leading Chassidic masters who immigrated to Eretz Israel, perhaps the Levushei Serad of Soroca or the Sidduro Shel Shabbat of Botshan, buried in Safed] is said to have been impressed by the unwavering spiritual level of one of the Vilna Gaon's disciples on the ship traveling to Eretz Israel, and became convinced that his way of Torah and service of G-d was superior. Upon arrival in Eretz Israel, he asked to study together with him, but did so in private, so as to retain the support of his Chassidic followers.
