Letter handwritten and signed by R. Akiva Sofer Rabbi of Pressburg, author of Daat Sofer. Pressburg, [1912].
Sent to Jerusalem to his friend R. Mordechai Friedman, with good wishes upon the engagement of his son with the daughter of R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld. His signature appears at the end of the letter: "Akiva son of R. S.B.S.". At the foot of the letter, following his signature, he sends regards to Rav Sonnenfeld.
The Gaon of Pressburg - R. Akiva Sofer (1878-1960), author of Daat Sofer, son of R. Simcha Bunim author of Shevet Sofer, who was the son of the Ketav Sofer. He served as rabbi and yeshiva dean in Pressburg since the passing of his father in 1907. Following the Holocaust, he reestablished his yeshiva and community in Jerusalem. He was one of the heads of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah.
The recipient of the letter, R. Mordechai Friedman (d. Elul 1944), immigrated to Eretz Israel from Hungary in 1908 and was one of the prominent members of the Hungarian Kollel in Jerusalem. His son, R. Menachem Mendel (1896-1958) was a leading disciple of the author of Maasai LaMelech in the Waitzen Yeshiva. In 1912, he became engaged to Rachel Breindel, daughter of R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, and together they raised a distinguished family in Jerusalem.
Postcard. 9X14 cm. Good condition. Postage stamp and postmarks.

Manuscript - title page and two other leaves from the ledger of the Shaar HaTorah Ashkenaz society. Satmar (Satu Mare), 1923. Yiddish, with some Hebrew.
The present item comprises a colorful illustrated title page, with two subsequent leaves delineating the society’s regulations. The regulations are signed by the society’s leading members, headed by the rabbi of Satmar - R. Eliezer David Grünwald, author of Keren LeDavid.
The title page depicts a gateway with a curtain covering the entrance, surmounted by a dome bearing the Tablets of the Law and topped with a Star of David finial. Signature at the foot of the illustration: "Produced by Yitzchak Yonatan Singer of Satmar, 1923".
The second leaf opens with the heading (in Yiddish): "Regulations of the Shaar HaTorah Ashkenaz society, Satmar". The heading is followed by the various clauses of the regulations, in Yiddish. The objective of the society is also defined: to maintain Orthodox boys’ schools, which would teach Hebrew, Chumash with the Rashi commentary, the Bible and Talmud with the Tosafot commentary. It states that the society aspires to provide the children of destitute families with free education. The regulations emphasize repeatedly that the society would be run according to the Ashkenazic way, and commits to employ specifically Ashkenazi teachers rather than Sefardi ones - members of the Chassidic community.
The regulations also specify that the society would operate under the direct supervision of the Orthodox chief rabbi of Satmar, and would be subordinate to the Orthodox community in the city.
On the final page, signatures of ten leading members of the society, and of the rabbi of Satmar - R. Eliezer David Grünwald.
R. Eliezer David Grünwald (ca. 1866-1928), foremost Torah scholar and yeshiva dean in Hungary and Transylvania in the pre-war years. He was the brother of R. Moshe Grünwald, the Arugat HaBosem, and his close disciple. He studied for a short time under R. Shmuel Ehrenfeld, the Chatan Sofer. He served as rabbi and dayan of prominent communities, including Bardiov (Bardejov), Dunaszerdahely (Dunajská Streda), Tzeilem (Deutschkreutz) and Oyber-Visheve (Vișeu de Sus). In each of these cities, he established and headed a large yeshiva, edifying countless disciples, including dozens who later served as rabbis and poskim. His yeshiva in Oyber-Visheve numbered hundreds of students. He was ultimately appointed rabbi of Satmar, where he headed the largest yeshiva in Transylvania, and one of the most prominent in Hungary. Following his passing, his disciples began publishing his novellae in the books: Responsa Keren LeDavid on Orach Chaim (Satmar, 1929; other parts of his responsa were lost during the Holocaust), Keren LeDavid on the Torah (Satmar, 1930-1939), Keren LeDavid - homily (Satmar, 1934), and others.
[3] leaves. Approx. 40 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Title page damaged and rubbed. Detached leaves.

Some 20 long letters of Torah thoughts, from the archive of R. Chaim Berlin, sent from rabbis and Torah scholars in Russia, Lithuania and Poland. Ca. 1900-1906.
Among the writers: his nephew R. Elazar Sheinfeld; R. Baruch Essman of Kiev (author of Chad VeChalak, who writes blessings for the New Year and Torah teachings that he said at the time his daughter gave birth); R. Matityahu Bornstein posek in Zolotonosha; R. Zvi Yehuda Mamluk (author of Abir HaRo’im); R. Michael Margolin; R. Shemayahu Rabbi of Bershad; R. Chanoch Yehuda of Białystok; R. Yitzchak son of R. Shraga posek in Tula; R. Meir Levine of Svislach; R. Avraham Matityahu Chalfan, R. Yisrael Bunim Zeidintzig of Siedlce; and others.
The recipient of the letters: R. Chaim Berlin (1832-1912), foremost Torah scholar in his generation, was an illustrious Torah figure of Lithuania and Jerusalem. Eldest son of the Netziv of Volozhin. He served as chief rabbi of Moscow, and for a while as yeshiva dean and rabbi in Volozhin, Kobryn and Yelisavetgrad (Kropyvnytskyi). His Torah influence spread throughout Russia and the entire world (the four-part Responsa Nishmat Chaim, published in Jerusalem in 2008, contains his correspondence with rabbis and Torah scholars throughout the world, including Russia, Galicia, Hungary, Germany, Holland, Iraq and Eretz Israel. Most of the rabbis who wrote the letters in this collection are not listed in the index of R. Chaim Berlin’s correspondants, which appears at the end of Nishmat Chaim on Yoreh Deah). He immigrated to Jerusalem in 1906 and soon became one of the leading rabbinic authorities in the city.
Approx. 20 letters (some 36 leaves and postcards). Size and condition vary. Overall good condition.

Collection of certificates of appreciation and letters of good wishes and farewell from various institutions and figures of the Kiev community, accorded to the president of the community, R. Yisrael Meisel, on the occasion of his immigration to Eretz Israel. Kiev, 1925.
Includes: • Letter of good wishes on a large leaf, presented by the Chevra Kaddisha in Kiev, signed by the heads of the society. • Two letters of good wishes and farewell on the official stationery of the "Religious Community in Kiev", each containing different text. One of the letters is signed by several dozen community members. The second letter is signed by both the secretary of the community and the "director of affairs and bookkeeper". • Farewell letter from the "Religious community, Kiev-Podol", signed by the members of the directorate and board. • "Remembrance of love" - letter of good wishes and farewell, signed by some 15 "members of the administration". * Letter of good wishes and farewell "in the name of Machzikei Torah". • Letter - poem in honor of the departure of "the president of the religious community in Kiev, R. Yisrael Meisel", from the "Representative of the synagogues in Shulyavka, Yisrael Aharon son of R. Shimon Luke[rman?]". • Certificate in Russian dated 1924, on the official stationery of the Kiev community, attesting that R. Yisrael Meisel had been serving as rabbi of Kiev since 1901.
8 paper items. Size varies. Overall good-fair condition. Stains, tears and wear.

Letter handwritten and signed by R. "Malkiel Tzvi HaLevi" Tennenbaum Rabbi of Lomza. Lomza, 1907.
Sent to R. Mordechai Friedman of Mezritch (D’Lita, Międzyrzec Podlaski), who requested an answer to a halachic query. R. Malkiel Tzvi writes: "…Perhaps it is incorrect to send a practical ruling to a place that has a permanent rabbi, but out of respect to his greatness, I responded…". Apparently, he had responded to the query in a previous letter, which got lost. The Divrei Malkiel apologized that "at present I cannot write again since I am a slightly ill, I am writing lying in bed…" (it is indeed apparent from the handwriting that this letter was written while lying in bed).
R. Malkiel Tzvi HaLevi Tennenbaum (1847-1910), a prominent rabbi and posek of his generation, was renowned for his great Torah genius and wrote many responsa, which were printed in the seven-volume Responsa Divrei Malkiel. He was known as a holy person and many approached him for blessing and deliverance. R. Herzog wrote about him that "in addition to his halachic brilliance, he was well-versed in kabbalah and studied Torah secrets well into the night".
Postcard. Approx. 14 cm. Good-fair condition. Trimmed (not affecting text), repaired with paper.