Letter signed by R. Elazar Menachem Shach, addressed to R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. [Bnei Brak], Shevat 1972.
Typescript letter, hand signed by R. Shach. R. Shach appeals to R. Elyashiv to donate "no less than 100 lira per year, to support the Chinuch HaAtzma’i…". At the beginning of the letter, R. Shach writes that "as a member of the directorate of Chinuch HaAtzma’i", he is deeply cognizant of the difficulties involved in managing educational institutions, and of the necessity for external financial support - "…and I know this with absolute certainty, with no exaggeration whatsoever".
R. Elazar Menachem Man Shach (1898-2002) was born in Lithuania, and studied in his youth in the Ponovezh, Slabodka and Slutsk yeshivot. He served as lecturer in the Kletsk yeshiva in Poland, and as dean of the Karlin yeshiva in Luninitz. During the Holocaust, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, and served as lecturer in the Kletsk yeshiva in Rechovot. He was later appointed lecturer and dean of the Ponovezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak. A member and leader of Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah, Chinuch HaAtzma’i and Vaad HaYeshivot, he stood at the helm of the Torah world for decades.
Already in the early 1970s, R. Shach entertained close ties with R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (1910-2012), and conferred with him on halachic and communal matters. In 1973, they jointly went to war to safeguard observance of Halachah, against rabbis who wished to be lenient on marital laws and allow marriage with mamzerim. In 1989, with the establishment of the Degel HaTorah party by R. Shach, R. Elyashiv made his first public statement of support for R. Shach. In his final years (when he was close to one hundred years old), R. Shach transferred to R. Elyashiv the leadership of all the communal organizations he founded for Torah Jewry (the Degel HaTorah party, the Yated Ne’eman paper, Lev L’Achim and the She’erit Yisrael Kashrut system).
[1] leaf, official stationery. 24.5 cm. Good condition. Creases and folding marks.

Letter handwritten and signed by R. Moshe Feinstein. New York, 9th Kislev 1973.
Call to assist the Kaminetz Yeshiva in building a bomb shelter in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War: "The Kaminetz Yeshiva in Jerusalem is well-known… R. Yitzchak Sheiner has now arrived here from Jerusalem… regarding a very urgent matter of life and death concerning the yeshiva students, i.e. building a bomb shelter for protection during war, which they do not have. Although we trust G-d that he will bestow peace, this is still important…". R. Moshe ends with a blessing for those who will donate to this cause.
R. Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986), foremost Halachic authority in the United States, was the leader of Orthodox Jewry, chairman of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah and dean of the Tiferet Yerushalayim yeshiva in New York. He authored: Responsa Igrot Moshe, Dibrot Moshe - Talmudic novellae and Darash Moshe - novellae on the Torah.
[1] leaf, official stationery. 26 cm. Good condition. Dampstains. Folding marks.

Letter of approbation for a book (7 lines), handwritten and signed by R. Moshe Feinstein. New York, Marcheshvan 1976.
Approbation for the book Mekor HaBracha - laws of blessings, authored by R. Gavriel Krausz, head of the Manchester Beit Din. In his approbation, R. Moshe Feinstein writes: "Since the book contains practical halachic rulings, and I am not able to study each topic individually, it cannot be considered as if I myself am also issuing these rulings, but I can say that he is a great man, who is well-versed in the laws of blessings, and his words should be given due regard". At the end of the letter, R. Moshe blesses: "And may G-d grant him success in Torah and in all areas, and may G-d’s name be sanctified through him".
R. Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986), foremost halachic authority in the United States, a leader of Orthodox Jewry and chairman of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah. He was the dean of the Tiferet Yerushalayim yeshiva in New York. He authored: Responsa Igrot Moshe, Dibrot Moshe - Talmudic novellae and Darash Moshe - novellae on the Torah.
[1] leaf. Official stationery. 28 cm. Good condition. Folding marks.
The letter of approbation was printed in the book Mekor HaBracha (London, 1977). The second edition of the book, which was printed in 1986 after the passing of R. Moshe Feinstein, contains a eulogy in his memory.

Letter of approbation for a book (14 lines), handwritten and signed by R. Shmuel HaLevi Wosner, author of Shevet HaLevi. Bnei Brak, [ca. 1976-1977].
Approbation to the book Mekor HaBracha - laws of blessings, authored by R. Gavriel Krausz, head of the Manchester Beit Din. In his approbation, R. Wosner writes that the subject of the laws of blessings "is reputed to be a very complex topic, to distinguish between the certain and the doubtful, and these are matters of utmost importance… yet people treat it lightly, by devising various leniencies which have no halachic basis". Further in the letter, R. Wosner writes a beautiful aggadic thought pertaining to blessings.
R. Shmuel HaLevi Wosner (1913-2015), author of Shevet HaLevi, was a leading halachic authority of the past generation. Born in Vienna, he was a disciple of R. Shmuel David Ungar, rabbi of Nitra, R. Yosef Elimelech Kahana, rabbi of Ungvar (both perished in the Holocaust) and later a close disciple of R. Meir Shapiro at the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva. In 1939, he immigrated to Eretz Israel with his wife. He first settled in Jerusalem, where he studied under the leading rabbis of the city. He soon thereafter earned prominence as a foremost Torah scholar and was appointed rabbi and posek of the Geulah neighborhood. In 1947, he moved to Bnei Brak to serve as rabbi of the Zichron Meir neighborhood. He was recommended for this position by the Chazon Ish who already then discerned the greatness and strength of the young man and foresaw his illustrious future. After a short while, he was appointed rabbi of the Chug Chatam Sofer communities in the city and with time became renowned as a foremost halachic authority acknowledged by all circles. He responded to thousands of halachic queries which were published in the eleven volumes of his book Responsa Shevet HaLevi.
[1] leaf. Official stationery. 27.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks.
This letter of approbation was printed in the book Mekor HaBracha (London, 1977; 1986).

Endpaper of a book, with many handwritten inscriptions in early Ashkenazic script. [Typical of the early 18th century].
On one side of the leaf, inscription (appears to be a signature): "Tzvi Hirsh son of the renowned R. Yoel Baal Shem Tov of Zamość, scribe of the Zamość community". Additional inscriptions in the upper part of the same page: "Yoel Heilprin" (twice) and "Tzvi Heilprin" (no other signatures or handwritten text were found for comparison). At the foot of the page, an inscription mentioning: "The renowned R. Yaakov Yehoshua of Kraków, rabbi and yeshiva dean in Berlin".
On the verso of the leaf, additional inscription of "Tzvi Hirsh son of R. Yoel Heilprin…", and the text of a contract dated 27th Tammuz 1746, with various signatories (whom we were not able to identify): "Elazar of Kraków", "Yehoshua Moshe, author of Pnei Yehoshua, of Prague", "Yosef Yozel of Kraków, who is laden with the burden of the country of Lithuania, signing here in Brody on market day…", "Chaim son of R. Yaakov Yehoshua of Kraków".
The leaf also contains other inscriptions, scribbles and pen trials.
In Chabad-Chassidic literature, it is written about the kabbalists R. Yoel Baal Shem I of Zamość, and his grandson R. Yoel Baal Shem II of Zamość, that they belonged to the "company of hidden men" - kabbalists named "Baal Shem", from which the Chassidic movement emerged.
R. Yoel Baal Shem I of Zamość - R. Yoel son of R. Yitzchak Eizik Heilprin (d. 1713), renowned kabbalist and wonder-worker who lived at the time of the 1648-1649 Chmielnicki massacres, and served as rabbi of various prominent Polish communities, including Zamość, Lviv and others. In 1692, he succeeded R. Naftali Katz as rabbi of Ostroh. He was a member of the Council of Four Lands and the Council of Lithuanian Rabbis. A kabbalist and wonder-worker, he dealt in practical kabbalah and earned the renown of a Baal Shem throughout Podolia. Wondrous accounts of barren women who conceived, ill people who recovered, dybbukim exorcised and salvation from other destructive elements are retold about him. Books of practical kabbalah published in the 1720s-1730s quote segulot and amulets from the teachings of R. Yoel Baal Shem I, which were in the possession of his grandson R. Yoel Baal Shem II (see below). Sefer HaZichronot of Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch records that R. Yoel Baal Shem I belonged to the "company of hidden men", and was the teacher of the kabbalist R. Adam Baal Shem - teacher of the Baal Shem Tov.
His grandson, R. Yoel Baal Shem II - R. Yoel son of R. Uri Heilprin (ca. 1690-ca. 1755) was a kabbalist and wonder-worker, who also earned the reputation of a Baal Shem. He resided in Zamość, and many would come to him in quest of salvations, amulets and segulot. R. Avraham Rabbi of Zhovkva described him as "reputed in our generation as an expert…" (in his approbation to the book Mif’alot Elokim, Zhovkva 1725). The printer of the book Toldot Adam (Zhovkva, 1720) writes about him: "He is renowned for being sought out daily from nearby and distant cities".
During the time of R. Yoel Baal Shem II, several books of practical kabbalah were published under his supervision, after undergoing his editing and receiving his approbation. In 1720, the book Toldot Adam was published in Zhovkva - a compilation of segulot and cures, instructions for writing amulets, incantations and hashbaot, from leading Baalei Shem - R. Eliyahu Baal Shem (of Chelm) and R. Yoel Baal Shem I, alongside segulot from Shlomo HaMelech, the Ramban, the Arizal and others. The publisher states that the book was published based on the holy writings of R. Yoel Baal Shem I. Two approbations by the grandson - R. Yoel Baal Shem II, were printed at the beginning and end of the book. In his foreword, the publisher writes about R. Yoel Baal Shem II: "We have no knowledge in practical kabbalah… all we have is the words of the great rabbi, exceptionally well-versed in both revealed and hidden realms of Torah… the renowned kabbalist R. Yoel Baal Shem, son of the prominent R. Uri of Zamość, grandson of the renowned kabbalist R. Yoel Baal Shem, and everyone knows that this R. Yoel Baal Shem is an authority and expert in this generation, and if he alone approves, the Jewish people will believe…". R. Yoel Baal Shem II signs his second approbation: "So says Yoel son of R. Uri Heilprin of Zamość and son-in-law of the renowned R. David son of R. Aryeh Yehuda Leib who was rabbi of Kraków and Brisk (Brest)". In 1722, a book of segulot and incantations titled Zevach Pesach was published in Zhovkva. It also contained amulets from R. Yoel Baal Shem I. His grandson R. Yoel Baal Shem II accorded his approbation to this book as well. A book with similar content was published in Zhovkva in 1725, titled Mif’alot Elokim, also containing amulets from R. Yoel Baal Shem I. This book too bears the approbation of R. Yoel Baal Shem II, alongside an approbation by R. Avraham Rabbi of Zhovkva who writes that since he does not deal in practical kabbalah, he at first refrained from giving an approbation to this book, yet upon seeing that R. Yoel Baal Shem II gave his approbation, and even proofread the entire book, he relied on him and added his approbation. Another book of practical kabbalah containing segulot, cures and amulets which received the approbation of R. Yoel Baal Shem II is the book Minchot Yaakov Solet, printed in Wilhelmsdorf, 1731.
This leaf contains inscriptions by his son R. Tzvi Hirsh, about whom no other information is known from other sources.
[1] leaf. 17.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Worming.