Rare Letter Signed by Rabbi Naftali Tzvi of Stolin, Grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, and Other Leading Rabbis of Tveria; 1855
Letter of appreciation from the leaders of Tveria’s Ashkenazic and Chassidic community, addressed to Sir Moses Montefiore.
Among the signatories are Rabbi Naftali Tzvi of Stolin, son of Rebbetzin Shaina Rachel, daughter of Rabbi Tzvi son of the holy Baal Shem Tov; and Rabbi Elazar Moshe Margolis.
Rabbi Naftali Tzvi of Stolin was the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov. His mother, Rebbetzin Shaina Rachel, was the daughter of Rabbi Tzvi, the son of the Baal Shem Tov. He was a son-in-law of Rabbi Yisrael of Pikov, son of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. He immigrated to Eretz Yisrael and settled in Tveria, where he headed the Volhynia Chassidic community. In 1862, he traveled as a messenger of Tveria’s Chassidic community and met with Rabbi Aharon of Karlin, Rabbi Yitzchak of Neshchiz, and others. He possessed the sefer Zohar belonging to the Baal Shem Tov which he gifted to the Admor of Karlin. He passed away in 1864.
Rabbi Elazar Moshe Margolis (born in 1804) was very close to Admor Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin. In 1846, the Admor sent him to Eretz Yisrael as a rabbinic emissary. He wrote in his letter: “My friend, the devout Chassid… is traveling upon my directive …for our Jewish brethren living on holy soil.” He miraculously survived the deadly earthquake in Tzfas after Rabbi Chaim of Kossov appeared to him in a dream.
There are additional signatures from Rabbi David Aryeh Leib, leader of the Chassidic community, Shabti Mettle from Tveria and another unidentified signatory.
27 x 21 cm | Thin blueish paper | Creased
