Fascinating Discovery!
Unknown autographed letter by the Atzei Chaim to the Arugas Habosem. Sighet, 1908
Newly-discovered autographed letter by the Admor Harav Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum, Av Beis Din of Sighet and author of Atzei Chaim, to Harav Moshe Greenwald, Av Beis Din of Chust and author of Arugas Habosem.
In this letter, the Atzei Chaim appeals to the Arugas Habosem to influence Vizhnitz chassidim to voice their stark opposition to the status-quo communities which were banned by the Orthodox rabbis in Hungary.
In 1908, a conflict broke out for the third time between the leaders of Sighet and Vizhnitzer chassidim regarding the future head (Nasi) of the Marmarush Kollel in Eretz Yisrael. Formerly, the role of Nasi of the kollel had always been that of the Admor of Vizhnitz, who at the time was the Ahavas Yisrael. The grounds for this dispute was that the one appointed to collect the funds in Sighet for the kollel in Eretz Yisrael and relay it to the Admor of Vizhnitz was Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Danzig, a Rav of the Sephardic congregation in Sighet of the status-quo congregations which have not entered the treatise of the Yere’im in Hungary and refused to accept the authority of its Rabbanim. The Atzei Chaim regarded the decision as an offense to Hungarian Rabbanim, among them Maharam Schick, who had ruled to distance and separate themselves from the status-quo congregations.
Following a lengthy debate, it was determined that the verdict would be delivered by a Beis Din comprised of two dayanim selected by each party, and that the fifth dayan would be the Arugas Habosem. The Beis Din subsequently issued a ruling that compelled the Vizhnitz community to express their opposition to the Rabbis of the status-quo communities, which the Vizhnitz community assented to do.
Notwithstanding, the Atzei Chaim disapproved with the wording of their declaration, and in the present letter, expresses his objection to the Arugas Habosem, requesting that they issue a new letter clearly announcing their ban upon Rabbanim and
shochtim from the above congregations.
The end of the letter features a handwritten salutation and autograph by the Atzei Chaim:
“And I shall await his great answer. His friend…with great love, Chaim Tzvi TB [Teitelbaum].”
Over the years, assorted letters concerning this debate have been published, but this particular letter is unknown and probably never been publicized.
Harav Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum (1880-1926) of Sighet, author of Atzei Chaim, was the scion of an illustrious family and generations of Rebbes and Rabbanim. His father was the Kedushas Yom Tov son of the Yitav Lev, who was the son-in-law of the Admor Harav Shalom Eliezer Halberstam of Ratzfert son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz. His brother was the Divrei Yoel of Satmar. Harav Chaim Tzvi was crowned Rebbe in Sighet when he was only 24 years of age, yet led his flock of thousands of chassidim with wisdom and holiness. Throughout his life, he suffered from physical illness and frailty, yet culled from his profound spiritual strength to battle the winds of modernism and uphold spiritual sanctity in Hungary. He died of a sudden blood clot at the young age of 46. His son is the Beirach Moshe of Satmar and his son-in-law was the Admor of Sanz-Klausenburg.
Sighet, 1908. Stationery. Minor stains and tear on fold. All text intact.
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