Important Letter by the Admor Rabbi Shalom Eliezer Halberstam
requesting to rescue him to Eretz Yisrael
The Razhporter pleading to save his life
A poignant letter by the Admor Rabbi Shalom Eliezer of Ratzfert regarding the urgent need to obtain the coveted certificates enabling Jews to flee the burning soil of Europe and escape to Palestine. The letter opens with words of blessing for good health and healing following a disease that struck the recipient’s eyes. The last three lines of the letter are handwritten and autographed by the Admor Rabbi Shalom Eliezer Halberstam.
In 1939, approximately six months prior to the outbreak of World War II, and again in 1943, the Admor of Ratzfert went to great lengths in order to obtain certificates that would enable him and his family to escape the Holocaust inferno and immigrate to Eretz Yisrael, which was then under the British occupation. In one letter, the Admor expresses that his yearning to settle in Eretz Yisrael perpetuates the desire of his holy father who always dreamed of settling in the Holy Land.
In this undated letter, which was sent to Rabbi Avraham ben Serel [Gross], the Admor inscribes, “I penned a letter the gaon and tzaddik Moreinu Harav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky n”y regarding letters [i.e. requests] on my behalf, and I request of your honor to speak to him face to face [and request] that he uphold his promise and send them to be as soon as possible. The said gaon told R’ Dovid Yehoshua Gross of Sakmur [rosh hakahal of Satmar who settled in Jerusalem in 1939] that he would endeavor to send me certificates, he should see to uphold his word.”
The Admor’s efforts to obtain the life-saving certificates did not succeed, and he was tragically sent to Auschwitz where he was murdered alongside six million of his brethren.
Rabbi Shalom Eliezer was renowned as a miracle-worker whose blessings were fulfilled. Countless marvelous stories and anecdotes attest to the power of his awe-inspiring blessings which were always fulfilled and recount the miracles and wonders that he enacted for Hungarian Jews.
The
Admor Rabbi Shalom Eliezer Halberstam of Ratzfert
(1862-1944) was one of the younger children of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz. Although he was born during his father’s latter years, he was still privileged to reap from his bountiful wisdom and sacred ways in his early years of life. The Admor Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz once expressed, “We can not fathom the level of] sanctity in which the holy Admor of Sanz bore his children, and especially those born during his later years.”
Circa 1900, Rabbi Shalom Eliezer relocated from Galicia to Hungary where he was crowned spiritual leader of Sanz chassidim in Hungary. World swiftly spread of his exceptional humility, piety and righteousness, and for forty years, he drew thousands of avid chassidim to his Holy Court.
During the final months of the Holocaust, he was rounded up along with the Jewish residents of his town and deported to Auschwitz. Shortly before the aktion, he related that his father, the holy Divrei Chaim, had appeared to him in a dream and offered him with the choice of dying al kiddush Hashem or being rescued from the inferno, and he opted to sacrifice his life and sanctify Hashem’s Holy Name.
Rabbi Shalom Eliezer Halberstam arrived in Auschwitz on 16 Sivan, 574 (1944) wearing a kittel and tachrichim beneath his Rabbinical garments. On that day, his soul ascended to Shamayim in the fires of the Holocaust, Hashem yikom damo.
Ratzfert, 1931.
Condition: Good. Printed in Tehillas Chaim Vol. 2 (Bnei Brak, 1995) p. 91
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