Rare historic document portraying
the battle of Gedolei Yisrael against the Maskilim of Galicia
Autographed Letter of Protest by Nine Gedolei Yisrael to Austrian Emperor Objecting the Founding of a Rabbinical Seminary in Vienna. Krakow, 1870.
Rabbi Shimon Sofer Cracow,
Rabbi Aaron Halbershtam Sanz,
Rabbi Shmuel Teitelbaum of Gorlitz,
Rabbi Tuvia Lifshitz of Brigel, and more see below
Background to the Letter
In 1866, a group of Galician Maskilim founded the Shomer Israel Society whose objective was to introduce foreign philosophies and beliefs contrary to traditional Judaism into Orthodox communities across Galicia, and thus ensnare young Jews into the net of the Haskalah.
The the Society wished to establish a Rabbinical seminary in Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire, to ordain and certify Jewish community rabbis, and that only “Rabbis” from the seminary alumni would be permitted to serve in official Rabbinical positions.
The proposed seminary syllabus included philosophy, world history, general knowledge and only minimal knowledge of Torah and halachah. Seminary students would be required to take government matriculation exams before receiving their Rabbinical ordination.
The proposal was accepted by the Austrian Minister of Education, and the Maskilim launched a massive propaganda campaign in order to bring their plan to fruition.
Gedolei Yisrael and Jewish leaders in Galicia and beyond were appalled by this transparent attempt by the Maskilim to destroy Rabbinical authority. They launched a counterattack against the Maskilim to overthrow their plot.
Leading the campaign was Rabbi Shimon Sofer, Av Beis Din of Krakow, who perpetrated the legacy of his father the Chasam Sofer .
The Letter
This letter, written in German and signed by venerable Galician Rabbanim of the era, opens with great respect and deference to His Royal Highness, the Emperor.
The Rabbanim courteously express that while they are confident that all of the Emperor’s activities are carried out with the goal of benefiting his subjects, this particular program is unacceptable and does not serve the interests of Galician Jews who are faithful to the Emperor and his kingdom.
They also emphasized that notwithstanding the trend in other Austrian cities, Germany, Czechoslovakia and other places, Galician Jewry insisted on stricter religious standards, and that practically, the local communities would shun community rabbis who graduated from the proposed seminary. They conclude with their demand and insistence on sending representatives from the said communities to consult with the government on the matter.
This letter is signed by the great early 19th century Galician sages:
1.
Rabbi Shimon Sofer (1821-1883), author of Michtav Sofer, son and disciple of his father the Chasam Sofer and perpetuated his sacred legacy of strengthening religious observance in the Diaspora. A genius who was fluent in both the Revealed and Hidden Torah, Rabbi Shimon Sofer was one of the foremost spiritual leaders of his generation, serving first as Rav in Mattersdorf and later in Cracow. His brilliance and versatile talents led him to serve as a member of the Austrian Parliament, where he acted as the liaison between the government and Jewish community.
2.
Rabbi Aharon Halberstam (1826-1903) was the son and successor of the saintly Admor Rabbi Chaim of Sanz, author of Divrei Chaim. Despite Rabbi Aharon’s supreme modesty and efforts to conceal his lofty spiritual level and avoid accepting any Rabbinical position, the Divrei Chaim appointed his son as Rav of Sanz and its vicinities during his lifetime.
3.
Rabbi Shmuel Teitelbaum (circa 1804-1889), Av Beis Din of Gorlitz, was the son of Rabbi Eliezer Nissan Teitelbaum, son of the Yismach Moshe. Rabbi Shmuel was raised and educated in the home of his illustrious grandfather and studied under his elder brother the Yitav Lev. He was an ardent chassid of the Divrei Chaim for twenty years, and later of the Sar Shalom of Belz. The Divrei Chaim appointed him as Rav of Gorlitz where he served faithfully for forty years. His son was the Admor Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Yekel Teitelbaum, Av Beis Din of Volva.
4.
Rabbi Tuvia Lifschitz (1825-1912), Av Beis Din of Brigel, was a grandson of both Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz and the Aryeh Dvei Ilai, and a great-grandson of the Yismach Moshe. (His father, Rabbi Meshulam Zalman Yonasan, Av Beis Din of Brigel, married the daughter of the son of the Aryeh Dvei Ilai who was a son-in-law of the Yismach Moshe.) From the age of bar mitzvah, Rabbi Tuvia began studying under the Yismach Moshe, and by the time he was 14 years old, the Alter of Radoshitz determined to take him as a son-in-law. Rabbi Tuvia recorded many of the miracles and wonders that he personally witnessed in the home of his saintly father-in-law in his sefer Niflaos HaSaba Kaddisha. After his marriage, he returned to his grandfather the Aryeh Dvei Ilai whom he served faithfully for many years. Rabbi Tuvia Lifschitz was personally acquainted with many of the illustrious sages and Chassidic masters of his generation, among them the disciples of the Chozeh of Lublin. The Divrei Chaim was known to call him “Mein Tuvia’le.”
5.
Rabbi Reuven Nosson Flasker (1819-1872), Av Beis Din of Reisha and author of Nachlas Reuven, was a close disciple of the Divrei Chaim who loved him as a son and appointed him as Raavad in the city of Sanz. Rabbi Eliezer of Dzikov subsequently arranged his appointment as Rav of the prominent Jewish community in Reisha.
6.
Rabbi Nosson Segal Goldberg (1821-1909), Av Beis Din of Liminov and author of Meoros Nosson was a close disciple of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz who praised his student effusively and appointed him to his position as Rav in Liminov, near Sanz. When Rabbi Nosson was offered the distinguished position of Rav of Munkacs, the Divrei Chaim refused to let him accept it, explaining that they needed a Rav of his caliber in their country. As a child of six, he visited Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz and soon began studying under the latter’s son-in-law Rabbi Asher Yeshaya of Ropshitz and subsequently under Rabbi Shalom of Kaminka. Rabbi Nosson was an undisputed genius who taught and disseminated Torah for over sixty years, cultivating famous disciples as the Admor Rabbi Shlomo of Bobov and Rabbi Moshe of Bardejov.
7.
Rabbi Yosef Hollander (1849-1891), Av Beis Din of Amsana, was one of the prime disciples of Divrei Chaim who regarded him as a son and praised him effusively. He was a close friend of both the Admor Rabbi Shlomo of Bobov and Rabbi Moshe of Bardejov. He received semichah from the Divrei Chaim who appointed him as Rav of Amsana and traveled personally to attend his Rabbinical inauguration. The Divrei Chaim likewise instructed him to accept kvittelach.
8.
Rabbi Yehuda Schiff, Av Beis Din of Bobov, was the son of Rabbi Yeshaya of Crashow, grandson of the Baruch Taam and a nephew of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz. He served as Rav of Bobov until his passing whereupon he was succeeded by Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam of Bobov.
9.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Landau served as Av Beis Din of Grybów for over three decades, between 1850 and 1882. In a letter addressed to the Jewish residents of Grybów, the Divrei Chaim of Sanz presages them to beware of slighting their Rav’s honor (Ateres Chaim Vol. 2 Letter 5).
Official stationery of OBERRABBINAT ZU KRAKAU (Cracow Rabbinate). Large folded leaf written on 4 sides. Page size: 34×21 cm. Good condition.
Provenance: Archive of the late Rabbi Shlomo Baumgarten – London.
Provenance: Archive of Rabbi Shlomo Bomgarten – London
