Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Letter from Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer – Berlin, 1888
Opening: $300
Sold for: $375
Including buyer's premium
Letter handwritten and signed by R. Azriel Hildesheimer. Berlin, 4th Nisan 1888.
Addressed to R. Hillel Traizon, Rabbi of Starodub, regarding a document of divorce sent from Berlin to Ponevezh, which never reached the woman; R. Azriel Hildesheimer, having searched unsuccessfully for the agent's place of residence, explains that doing so in as large a city as Berlin is no easy task.
R. Azriel Hildesheimer concludes with blessings for the upcoming Passover, and his signature.
R. Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899), rabbi, posek and leader. A foremost rabbi in his times, he stood at the helm of Orthodox Jewry in Germany. He was a close disciple of R. Yaakov Ettlinger – the Aruch LaNer in Altona (who refers to him in Responsa Binyan Tzion as "my son"), and studied under Chacham Bernays (R. Yitzchak Bernays) of Hamburg. In 1848, he founded a yeshiva in Halberstadt, and in 1851, he was appointed rabbi of Eisenstadt, where he also served as yeshiva dean and established a unique educational system.
In 1869, he began serving as rabbi of the Adath Israel Orthodox community in Berlin, where he founded a yeshiva. In 1874, he opened the Rabbinical Seminary, which edified generations of rabbis, educators and community leaders. Just like his teacher the Aruch LaNer, he was titled "Nesi Eretz Israel".
He was renowned for his wide-ranging efforts on behalf of German Jewry, and for his extensive activities on behalf of Russian Jewry. He authored many novellae and halachic responsa, which were published in his responsa (2 volumes), Talmudic novellae (3 volumes) and other books.
The recipient of the letter, R. Hillel Traizon, was Rabbi of Starodub and author of Divrei Hillel (Piotrków, 1895-1902).
[1] double leaf. 14.5 cm. Approx. 12 handwritten lines. Good condition. Marginal tears.
Letters
Letters