Letter on postcard (more than 4 lines) handwritten and signed by Rebbe Chaim Elazar Shapiro, the Minchat Elazar. [Munkacs, 1936].

Sent to the philanthropist R. Eliezer Bollag of Baden. The letter is very concise, written with many acronyms, and signed by the Rebbe.

On the verso of the postcard, there is a letter from the Rebbe's attendant, R. Chaim Dov Greenfeld, writing on behalf of the rebbe. He writes that the Rebbe is praying for the recovery of the person in question, and relays the Rebbe's blessings for a complete and speedy recovery.

Rebbe Chaim Elazar Shapiro, Rabbi of Munkacs (1872-1937) was a leading Torah scholar, halachic and Chassidic authority, and kabbalist in his generation. Author of Minchat Elazar and many other Torah works.

Postcard. 10X15 cm. Good condition. Stains. Postage stamps and postmarks.

Letter (15 lines) handwritten and signed by Rebbe Shalom Moskowitz of Shotz, on a printed Shanah Tovah UMeirah card from the Rebbe. [London, Elul, ca. early 1950s].

On the verso of the card is a printed blessing from the Rebbe, forming the acronym "Shalom".

Shanah Tovah blessing addressed to R. Yechezkel Abramsky, head of the London Beit Din. He reproaches him for not responding to his Shanah Tovah card the previous year, but excuses him as he "pushes away those who want to be his friends, and only to do the Torah's will, as the prayer of R. Elimelech of Lizhensk states… 'May we see each other's virtues and not their deficiencies'…".

The Rebbe concludes with blessings and his signature [using the word Shalom both as a blessing and his signature, as was his habit in many letters].

On the margins of the card is a short Shanah Tovah letter from the Rebbe's son.

Rebbe Shalom Moskovitz of Shotz (1877-1958), a descendant of R. Michel of Zlotchov and R. Meir of Premishlan; foremost rebbe in the previous generation. He was proficient in all areas of Torah, and a great posek. In his youth, he was ordained by the Maharsham of Berezhany and even lived in his home for nine months to attend to him. He served G-d devotedly and was a kabbalist, known for working wonders by his awesome prayers, like a son beseeching his father. He was a disciple of the Rebbe of Shinova and the Belz rebbes. He served as Rabbi of Suceava from 1903, and he was the teacher of R. Meir Shapiro of Lublin, the founder of Daf Yomi.

From 1927, he served as rebbe in London. He authored many books on the Talmud, Torah, Chassidut and more. He was highly esteemed by the great rebbes of his generation and word of his greatness and holiness spread all over the world. His diligence was rare; he would study Torah for hours and hours, stopping only for meals or mitzvah purposes. At the same time, his London home was wide open and people from all circles came to seek his blessing, ask for guidance and request halachic rulings. In his will, he pledged to arouse Heavenly mercy upon anyone who would visit his gravesite, light two candles in his memory, and undertake to strengthen himself in a mitzvah or in Torah study (at his request, this promise is printed at his gravesite in three languages: Hebrew, Yiddish and English). The Rebbe of Shotz fought against secularism and Zionism; when the state of Israel was established he published a polemical tract (London, 1950) demanding the leaders of the state allow religious Jews and Torah institutions to preserve their way of life.

His son (author of the second letter),
R. Yisrael Yaakov Moskowitz, predeceased his father (in 1954). Selected teachings of his were published in She'erit Yaakov (London, 1957).

Card: 11.5X7.5 cm. Good condition. Light stains.

Letter of Rebbe Shlomo Halberstam of Bobov. New York, [22nd Iyar] 1967.

Mainly written in scribal writing on official stationery, concluding with three lines handwritten and signed by the Rebbe.

Addressed to the philanthropist R. Yechiel Reinhold. The Rebbe thanks him for his donation and blesses him and his family with "complete health always and a life of satisfaction and happiness, and may G-d fulfill all your wishes for the good".

Rebbe Shlomo Halberstam (the second) of Bobov (1907-2000), the Divrei Shlomo, prominent rebbe in recent times. Son of Rebbe Bentzion Halberstam, the Kedushat Tzion (son of the first Rebbe of Bobov, Rebbe Shlomo Halberstam, grandson of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz). In 1931, his father moved from Bobov to Trzebinia, and appointed him as rabbi in his place in Bobov. Rebbe Shlomo assisted his father in directing the dozens of branches of the large network of yeshivas "Etz Chaim – Bobov" in Galicia. After the Holocaust, he reached the United States where he re-established Bobov Chassidut, founding communities, yeshivas and Torah institutions in the United States and worldwide.

The philanthropist R. Yechiel Reinhold (1881-1970) was a distinguished Bobov Chassid. Born in Sanz, he was a follower of Rebbe Shlomo Halberstam the first of Bobov and his uncle Rebbe Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam of Shinova.

[1] leaf, official stationery. Approx. 28 cm. Good condition. Folding marks.

Large collection of over fifty printed Shanah Tovah cards from rabbis, rebbes and their families, some with their handwritten additions. Eretz Israel, United States and elsewhere, ca. 1950s-1990s.

Shanah Tovah letters from: R. Shmuel HaLevi Wosner; R. Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss Rabbi of Manchester (author of Minchat Yitzchak); R. Avraham Shlomo Katz, Rabbi of Ruscova and Kiryat Yoel, Bnei Brak; R. Avraham David Horowitz, Strasbourg; Rebbe Moshe Yehoshua Hager of Vizhnitz; Rebbe Baruch Hager of Seret-Vizhnitz-Haifa and his sons R. Moshe Hager and R. Eliezer Hager; Rebbe Chaim Mordechai Rosenbaum of Nadvorna, Bnei Brak; Rebbe Tzvi Hirsch Rosenbaum of Kretshnif-Sighet, Kiryat Ata; Rebbe Moshe Natan Nata Lemberger, Kiryat Ata; and others.

See Hebrew description for a partial list of authors of letters.

55 printed cards. Varying size. Overall good condition. Some with handwritten inscriptions.

Shanah Tovah letter from Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Brooklyn, New York, Elul 1954.

Typewritten on the Rebbe's official stationery, with his signature: "M.Schneerson", and his handwritten additions.

Addressed to
R. Avraham Mokotovsky (Eliyahu Kitov; 1912-1976) in Jerusalem, with blessings for a Shanah Tovah and Ketuvah VaChatimah Tovah. In the valediction, the Rebbe added by hand the word: "Respectfully".

[1] leaf, official stationery. 21.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Filing holes.