Two letters from R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski. Vilna, Erev Rosh Hashanah and 8th Tishrei [September-October] 1938.

Handwritten by his scribe, with several lines handwritten and signed by R. Chaim Ozer. Addressed to his intimate associate R. Yechezkel Abramsky, head rabbi of the London Beit Din. The letters discuss fundraising for the medical expenses of R. Ytizchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik, Rabbi of Brisk – the Brisker Rav, who had traveled to the spa town Krynica-Zdrój (southern Poland), including Shanah Tovah blessings and other matters.

In the first letter, R. Chaim Ozer discusses the health condition of "our friend R. Yitzchak Ze'ev" who was recovering in Krynica-Zdrój, and he writes of the funds R. Abramsky had already transferred to that end: "I will inform our friend R. Yitzchak Ze'ev that this is from your efforts". R. Chaim Ozer also discusses his own health condition, and his trip to Zürich to visit their friend R. Avraham Dov Ber Kahana Shapira, author of Devar Avraham, for a surgery.

R. Chaim Ozer also discusses the deliberations whether to announce a public fast day in response to the troubles and persecution of the Nazis in Germany: "Regarding the fast day… we gathered together and decided to decree a fast day in all our regions, and I also sent an announcement to all the places, and I also announced by telegram to important centers, and may G-d listen to the cries and petitions of our people to soon extricate us from the straits".

R. Chaim Ozer signs the letter with two lines of blessings, in his handwriting and with his signature: "You did a great thing by the support you sent for R. Yitzchak Ze'ev. May the G-d of recompense repay your work and wages in full, and may you and all your family and all your friends be blessed with a Ketivah VaChatimah Tovah, immediately, for good, lengthy and sound life, in accordance with your desire and that of your loving friend, Chaim Ozer Grodzinski".

In the second letter R. Chaim Ozer adds two lines of handwritten and signed blessings: "I am happy to again seek your welfare, and that of your dear household, to be blessed with a Gemar Chatimah Tovah, immediately, for good, lengthy and sound life, and may your eyes see the redemption of our people soon, in accordance with the wishes of your friend, esteeming and respecting you, praying for your welfare and awaiting the salvation of G-d. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski".

R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski (1863-1940) was a foremost rabbi of his generation and leader of European Jewry. He was the son of R. David Shlomo Grodzinski, Rabbi of Iwye. He was renowned from his childhood for his exceptional brilliance. He entered the Volozhin yeshiva at the young age of 11, and became a disciple of R. Chaim of Brisk. At the age of 24, he was appointed rabbi and posek of Vilna, succeeding his father-in-law R. Eliyahu Eliezer Grodnansky, a posek in Vilna (son-in-law of R. Yisrael Salanter). He assumed the yoke of public leadership from a young age, and his opinion was conclusive on all public issues which arose throughout the Jewish world for close to fifty years.

The recipient of the letters,
R. Yechezkel Abramsky (1886-1976), was a confidant and agent of R. Chaim Ozer of Vilna ever since developing close ties with him in his youth while studying under his influence in Vilna. In winter of 1806, the "prodigy of Masty" Yechezkel Abramsky was forced to leave the Telshe yeshiva and flee to Vilna (then under Polish occupation) to avoid conscription to the Russian army. In Vilna he was accepted into the Ramailes yeshiva and joined the elite class of students who listened to the advanced lectures of R. Chaim Ozer (based on Melech BeYofyo, pp. 29-33). While subsequently serving as Rabbi of Smilavichy and Slutsk, he served often as R. Chaim Ozer's agent in various communal affairs. R. Abramsky smuggled the manuscript of Part I of his Chazon Yechezkel from Slutsk to his teacher R. Chaim Ozer in Vilna, who was involved in its publication in Vilna, 1925, by his confidant R. Aharon Dov Alter Voronovsky (R. Abramsky's wife's cousin). When R. Abramsky was arrested by the Soviets and sent to Siberia in 1930, R. Chaim Ozer made world-spanning efforts to release him. After his release in 1931, R. Chaim Ozer and the Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch joined with R. Abramsky to initiate the project of sending Pesach flour and food packages to Jews under the Bolshevik regime in Russia. Likewise, R. Abramsky was active on missions on behalf of R. Chaim Ozer for yeshivas in Poland and Lithuania and for rabbis of Europe. They also cooperated on many public issues, including the struggles for Jewish marriage and against the anti-Semitic laws in Germany and Europe forbidding Jewish shechitah (requiring stunning animals before slaughtering, which renders the meat non-kosher), and on rescue activity for rabbis and yeshivas who fled as refugees to Vilna at the start of the Holocaust. The present letters reflect some of their cooperation on public and private affairs and assistance to rabbis.

2 letters. Official stationery. 28.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and folding marks. Small tears to folds of one letter.