Autographed Letter by the Miracle-Worker Rabbi Yosef of Radvil & His Son-in-Law. Radvil, 1862
Autographed letter by the Admor Rabbi Yosef of Radvil to his son-in-law the Admor Harav Yitzchak of Bender, with handwritten note by his son-in-law the Admor Rabbi Mordechai of Shomsk, grandson of the Admor Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitz.
The letter begins with Rabbi Yosef of Radvil’s heartfelt blessings for life, peace, children and nachas.
The
Admor Rabbi Yosef of Radvil (1818-1875) was the son-in-law of the Admor Rabbi Pinchas of Ostille, and a fifth-generation descendant of the holy Maggid Rabbi Yechiel Mechel of Zlotchov. From a young age, Rav Yosef conducted himself with extreme piety and fasting, immersing frequently in a mikveh. He traveled often to the Holy Court of Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin who praised him effusively for his spiritual greatness.
At the age of 17, he was crowned Admor, and thousands flocked to his Holy Court to seek his counsel and blessings. He became renowned as a miracle-worker, and many chassidim of Volhynia attested to the ruach hakodesh that hovered upon him.
Letters from the Radviller are exceedingly rare. Harav Yitzchak Landau, gabbai of the Admor Harav Yitzchak of Nashkiz, recounts in his sefer Zichron Tov (Piotrków, 1892 p. 39a) that Rabbi Yosef’s son Rabbi Eliezer once requested a letter that his father had written to the Admor of Nashkiz, He explained that he did not have a single autograph from his holy father, ztvk”l, for the few letters that he sent and signed were sent to whoever received them, and it was not uncommon for him not to sign at all. Only very few [letters] were autographed, and those [were signed] with great advance preparation.
In this letter, Harav Yosef requests of his son-in-law and daughter that they come to live with him in the near future.
The margin of the letter includes a note of blessing from the Radviller’s son-in-law, the Admor Harav Mordechai Lerner of Shomsk, to his brother-in-law Harav Yitzchak of Bender. Harav Mordechai Lerner was the son of Harav Mechel Lerner and grandson of his namesake Harav Mordechai of Lechovitz. The former served for four decades as Rav and Admor in Shomsk, where his brilliance and righteousness were renowned throughout all of Volhynia.
Radvil, 1862. Page size: 21×16 cm. Good condition.
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