The Dynasty of Lechovitch, Kobryn and Slonim
Anthology of Handwritten Letters by the Admor Rabbi Shmuel of Slonim
Nine letters written by the progenitors of the Lechovitch, Kobryn and Slonim dynasties and additional letters copied by the holy hand of the Admor Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg of Slonim, author of Divrei Shmuel.
To the best of Genazym’s knowledge, some of these letters are heretofore unknown.
1.
Letter by the Admor Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitch to his followers in the town of
Koidanov .
Lechovitch, 1790
2.
Letter by the Admor Rabbi Noach of Lechovitch to his followers.
Lechovitch, 1821
3.
Letter by the Admor Rabbi Moshe of Kobryn appealing for tzedakah on behalf of the residents of Eretz Yisrael.
4.
Letter by the Admor Rabbi Avraham Weinberg of Slonim, author of ‘Yesod Ha’Avodah’ to his chassid Rabbi Meir Marim of Kobryn. This letter was printed without the introduction in Yesod Ha’Avodah Letter 40.
5.
Letter by the Admor Rabbi Avraham Weinberg of Slonim, author of ‘Yesod Ha’Avodah’ regarding supporting the needy Jews who had journeyed and settled in Eretz Yisrael. This letter was printed in Yesod Ha’Avodah, Letter 65.
6.
Teachings of the late Chassid
Moreinu Harav Gershon Runner, a member of the Admor Rabbi Mendel Vitebsk’s chevraya kaddisha. This letter was printed in Likutei Amarim L’Rav Menachem Mendel MiVitebsk (Lvov, 1911) Letter 31 (see ‘Yesod Hamaalah’ vol. 1 p. 109).
7.
Letter by Rabbi Yosef ben Rabbi Binyamin Mendelowitz, 1858 about transferring tzedakah funds to Eretz Yisrael only via the Admor Rabbi Avraham of Slonim, author of Yesod Ha’Avodah. In this letter, he attests that this was the ruling of the Admor Rabbi Moshe of Kobryn. (This letter was sent because following Rabbi Moshe of Kobryn’s passing, some of his chassidim became followers of the Admorim of Lechovitch, Kobryn and Koidanov.)
The author
Rabbi Yosef Mendelowitz (d. 1859) was close to both the Admorim Rabbi Mordechai and his son Rabbi Noach of Lechovitch. He was a prominent chassid of the Admor Rabbi Moshe of Kobryn and his disciple the Admor Rabbi Avraham of Slonim. Rabbi Yosef was known as a pious and humble man who was said to possess ruach hakodesh and generate miracles.
8.
Letter by Rabbi Zalman Willner. This is actually the Baal Hatanya’s letter that was printed in the Tanya’s Igeres Hakodesh #11. Rabbi Zalman Willner was one of the great disciples of the Admor Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk in Teveria, and in the present collection, the letter is mistakenly attributed to him.
9.
Letter by the Admor Rabbi Yehoshua of Ostrova, author of ‘Toldos Adam’. This letter, which contains kabbalistic content, was written to the Yesod Ha’Avodah in 1870. (The handwritten copy mistakenly substitutes the name “Moshe Leib” for “Shlomo Leib”).
Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg of Slonim (1850-1916), author of ‘Divrei Shmuel’, was the second Rebbe of the glorious Slonim dynasty. He was a student of his grandfather, the Admor Rabbi Avraham of Slonim author of Yesod Ha’Avodah, and other Chassidic masters, and one of the illustrious tzaddikim and Gedolim of his generation. Following his grandfather’s passing in 1884, he succeeded him as Rebbe at the young age of 34.
Letters 4-8 were printed; the others are unknown and unprinted.
Page Count: [4] leaves (7 sides).
Page Size: 20x16cm.
Condition: Good.
