Important Handwritten Halachic Responsum by the Minchas Elazar Regarding Selling a Business to a Gentile for Shabbos. Munkacs, 1914
Landmark teshuvah!
Landmark teshuvah handwritten and autographed by the Admor Harav Chaim Elazar Shapira, Av Beis Din of Munkacs.
This letter addresses the question of whether it is permissible to sell one’s business to a gentile on a weekly basis before Shabbos in order to allow the gentile to manage the business on Shabbos. It references the opinion of the Divrei Chaim who was lenient and permitted this under certain circumstances (see Shu”t Divrei Chaim Vol. 1 Ch. 5-7).
In this letter, the Minchas Elazar declares that he does not issue a universal leniency for this practice, as the Divrei Chaim’s son, the Admor of Shinova zy”a, professed that his father’s opinion regarding this matter applied only to boors and ignoramuses [whom he feared would otherwise desecrate Shabbos].
“Therefore, ” writes the Minchas Elazar,
“I hereby caution against this completely, as I have seen similarly from my father…”
The letter, dated Shvat 5684 (1914), was penned during his initial years as Rav and Admor in Munkacs. That same year, his father, the author of Darchei Teshuvah, passed away on 16 Tishrei.
In the beginning of the letter, he apologizes for: “failing to respond at these times, as I am very occupied, particularly with arranging and completing the writings of my…father zy”a, which shall be published in the coming days in accordance with the final will that he imparted to me prior to his passing…”
The Admor Harav Chaim Elazar Shapiro (1872-1937) was the Av Beis Din of Munkacs and author of Minchas Elazar. He was revered as one of the greatest Hungarian Chassidic Rebbes in the pre-Holocaust era and fought valiantly to preserve tradition. A son of the Darchei Teshuvah and direct descendant of the Bnei Yissachar, he was crowned Raavad of Munkacs during his father’s lifetime, and in 2014 as Rav and Rebbe of the city. He was a prolific author whose written legacy includes the 5-volume Shu”t Minchas Elazar, Darchei Teshuvah al Hilchos Niddah, Darchei Chaim V’shalom; Likutei Divrei Torah Chaim V’shalom; Chamishah Ma’amaros; Os Chaim V’Shalom and more.
Munkacs, 1914. Official personal stationery. Page size: 23×15 cm. Light breakage in bottom left corner of letter. Unpublished.
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