Letter handwritten, signed and stamped by R. Eliyahu Chaim Meisel, Rabbi of Łódź. Łódź, 2nd Tevet [eighth day of Chanukah] 1892.

Approbation to Netiv HaYam, a commentary on Midrash Tanchuma authored by R. Yisrael Moshe Bromberg of Łódź. [The book on Bereshit was eventually printed in Piotrków, 1914, with the present approbation (slightly edited), and reprinted by Zichron Aharon, Jerusalem, 2008 – see preface].

R. Eliyahu Chaim Meisel (1821-1912), Rabbi of Łódź, was celebrated from his youth for his brilliance, and at the young age of 8 he joined the Volozhin yeshiva to study under R. Yitzchak of Volozhin. At the age of 19, he was appointed Rabbi of his native Horodok (Gródek), and in 1851, of Dereczyn. He later served as Rabbi of Pruzhany and of Łomża, and from 1873, as Rabbi of Łódź, a position he held for 40 years. He was renowned as one of the most prominent Torah leaders of his times in Lithuania and Poland and was famous for his exceptional acts of kindness in redeeming captives and saving needy families from starvation. His gravesite in Łódź was popular as a prayer-site for requesting salvation for the Jewish people and for individuals and was perpetually covered with kvittels.

On verso – letter of subscription to the book by Dr. Yisrael Yelsky of Łódź, dated 1894.

Dr. Yisrael Yelsky, a district doctor of the Łódź region, one of the first preachers in the Great Ashkenazi Synagogue on Kościuszki Avenue, established in the center of Łódź in 1888.

[1] leaf (Written on both sides). 15.5X13 cm. Good-fair condition. Many stains. Marginal tears. Mounted on another paper, slightly affecting text of Dr. Yelsky's letter.