Long Autographed Letter from the Netziv of Volozhin Addressed to His Son, Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Regarding Embracing Yissurim; Volozhin, 1851
Handwritten and signed letter of Torah novellae from Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (Netziv), ab”d and rosh yeshiva of the Volozhin yeshiva, regarding the importance of blessing on the good and the bad: “Just as one blesses G-d for the good, so too, one should bless G-d for the bad.” This letter was sent to his son, Rabbi Chaim Berlin.
At the beginning of the letter, the Netziv writes regarding the yeshiva: “Life and peace is with all of us, thank G-d… and the yeshiva students all are loved and busy in their war of Torah. In the past week, we began tractate Shabbos…”
On the verso, there is a personal letter handwritten and signed by the Netziv’s wife, Rebbetzin Reina Batya.
Rabbi Chaim Berlin added a comment at the end of the letter.
Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (1816-1893), known by all as the “Netziv, ” was the renowned rosh yeshiva of Volozhin. He began studying in the Volozhin Yeshiva at the young age of eleven and was taken by Rabbi Itze’le as a son-in-law at the age of thirteen. He studied Torah undisturbed for twenty-five years until the year 1852, whereupon he accepted the leadership of the yeshiva. He served in this capacity for fifty years. He authored Emek Davar, Emek She’aila and Meishiv Davar.
Rebbetzin Reina Batya was the daughter of Rabbi Itze’le of Volozhin and granddaughter of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. She was a righteous and well-educated woman, and her nephew, author of Torah Temima, writes in his sefer Mekor Baruch that she spent most of her day at the table surrounded by sefarim. She passed away in approximately 1873.
Rabbi Chaim Berlin (1832-1918) was the eldest son of the Netziv. He studied by his father and grandfather, Rabbi Itze’le, in his youth. He married at the age of fifteen, after which he settled in the city of Sklow to live near his father-in-law. He stayed in close contact with his father via letters throughout this time and even assisted him in preparing his sefer Emek She’aila for print.
Dated Volozhin, 1851.
1 leaf (2 sides) | 23 x 18 cm | Crease marks
