Letter of Blessings from the Chafetz Chaim – To Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky – Radin, 1932

Letter of Blessings from the Chafetz Chaim – To Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky – Radin, 1932

Letter signed by R. Yisrael Meir HaKohen, the Chafetz Chaim. Radin, Adar 1932.

The letter is in scribal writing, with the signature and stamp of the Chafetz Chaim. Addressed to R. Yechezkel Abramsky, Rabbi of the Adat Yisrael – Machazikei HaDat community in London.

The letter relates to a fundraising voyage for the Radin yeshiva undertaken by R. Hillel Ginsburg and R. Menachem Mendel Ehrlich, Rabbi of Frombork, "who are traveling on behalf of our holy yeshiva to England – to arouse our fellow Jews to come to the aid of the yeshiva at our terribly pressing time".

In the present letter, the Chafetz Chaim mentions R. Abramsky's visit to the Radin yeshiva [the famous visit in 1931, after R. Abramsky was released from exile in Russia, on the way to England; on this visit see Melech BeYofyo pp. 223-224, and Igrot R. Chaim Ozer, II, 704-705]: "…And since you merited to see with your own eyes our holy yeshiva, with its leaders and students, great in Torah and fear of heaven, many of whom are fellow Jews who escaped the religious persecution going on there [in Russia], I request you come to the assistance of the aforementioned rabbis with their holy work for the benefit of our holy yeshiva, with all you can do… to assist us in our time of distress, to bring life to hundreds of souls great in Torah and fear of heaven who sacrifice their flesh and blood on the altar of the Torah, and for the subsistence of this temple of G-d where Torah has been disseminated for over sixty years…".

The Chafetz Chaim blesses him: "And may the merit of the Torah stand for you and may you be blessed by the G-d of heaven with life and peace and all good, and may your eyes see the salvation of Israel and the pride of the Torah soon, as is your good desire and mine, respecting you and esteeming you as befits your station, Yisrael Meir HaKohen".

R. Yisrael Meir HaKohen of Radin (ca. 1838-1933), a foremost leader of the Jewish people. He was known as the Chafetz Chaim after his first book. Founder of the Radin yeshiva and author of many halachic and ethical books including Mishnah Berurah, Shemirat HaLashon, Ahavat Chesed and many more.

The recipient, R. Yechezkel Abramsky (1886-1976), was very dear to the Chafetz Chaim. They first met when R. Abramsky came to receive his blessing after his engagement. The Chafetz Chaim was enthusiastic at his request for a blessing to succeed in Torah study, and blessed him at length and even kissed him on his hand (R. Abramsky would boast of this kiss his entire life, showing his hand and saying, "Here is where the Chafetz Chaim kissed me"; at one point he kissed a close disciple at his wedding and told him, "Remember your entire life that you were kissed by someone who merited to be kissed by the Chafetz Chaim"; Melech BeYofyo, p. 74). They met several other times subsequently. When R. Abramsky was arrested by the Russian authorities in 1930, the Chafetz Chaim made world-ranging efforts in correspondence and lobbying to free the Rabbi of Slutsk, and would even recite five psalms in the minyan in his house for his rescue and release. The day of R. Abramsky's release from prison, Erev Yom Kippur 1931, the Chafetz Chaim unusually did not recite the Tehillim for the rescue of the Rabbi of Slutsk. R. Elchanan Wasserman, who was present at the time at the home of the Chafetz Chaim in Radin, tells how the Chafetz Chaim stopped suddenly in the middle of a conversation with the students and exclaimed exuberantly: "The Bolsheviks got nothing… they got nothing, for despite themselves they are forced to release the Rabbi of Slutsk…". And indeed, at that very moment, R. Abramsky had been released from prison, as the Chafetz Chaim had seen with ruach hakodesh (Melech BeYofyo, pp. 218-219).

[1] leaf, official stationery. 28 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Folding marks and wear. Two folds across width of leaf, repaired with acid tape, with stains from tape.

A facsimile of the present letter is printed in Melech BeYofyo, p. 264.