Lot 8:

Rare Letter about Appointing a Mashgi'ach at the Slabodka yeshiva, Handwritten and Signed by the Holy Gaon Rabbi Avraham Grodzinsky hy"d. Slabodka, 13 Kislev [1934]

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"And it is true concerning you too, my wish is that you be here, for you, since you are destined for greatness, and for the many, since you have a great ability to influence, supervise, do good, deserving of the many, and maybe for me too, since I have no brother like you who looks out for me and my family. But I am unable to tell you to come. If you were here, we would have discussed the issue and maybe it would have ended well. If only pertaining to spiritual work, or jointly materialism with spirituality, since lack is visible everywhere. But to write you to come, that is to leave the possibility of getting along in the Land of Israel, I cannot, since nothing is clear here, even commerce – which is not pleasing to you – I would fear to reject with both hands … and especially when it seems that your honorable wife and daughter have not yet recovered. Therefore, all the more reason the matter of some spiritual arrangement. Thus, despite my wishes I must wait for your opinion, since no one can decide on this matter but you … your uncle awaiting your consent Avraham". A letter by Rabbi Avraham Grodzinzky to his nephew Rabbi Avraham Pinchas Grodzinsky. Slabodka, [1934].

[1] page, written on both its sides, 26 cm. Lines were added on the circumference of the pages. Handwritten and signed by the Gaon Rabbi Avraham Grodzinsky. Apparently, the letter was never printed. In the letter, the writer takes interest in the Rabbanut and Shechita of Ramat HaSharon and addresses the question whether to explore the possibility of finding a rabbinical position for him in the Land of Israel. Mentioned in the letter are also additional family members and Rabbis: "Rabbi Binyamin", "Uncle Mr. Levin", "Miriam the daughter of the Rav your uncle", "Moron the Gramosh", "The Radaz", "Moron the Griash" – the great Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Schor the founder of the Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Berak, and "The Rizad".

Rabbi Avraham Grodzinsky (1884-1944), Student of the Lomzhe and Radin Yeshivas. When he was 17, he went to study at the "Knesset Yisrael" Yeshiva headed by the Saba of Slabodka and became one of his leading disciples. He worked on acquiring Mussar, Tikkun HaMidot and deep study. He would repeat the lessons of the "Saba" before the students of the yeshiva with great precision and served as the right hand of his educational work. After World War I, Rabbi Avraham joined the board of the yeshiva and started giving lessons to its students. He was sent by the "Saba" with the first group of students to take care of the yeshiva in the Land of Israel. When he returned to Slabodka in 1927 he became the spiritual director of the yeshiva. After the passing of his wife, he took care of the household and educated his eight orphan children at the same time as caring for the Yeshiva. During World War II, he was active in Kovno with Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky of Vilna, assisting Jewish refugees and organizing an escape route for them. After Lithuania was conquered by the Germans, he continued to study Torah in secret in his house, together with additional rabbis. After the Germans discovered the bunker he was hiding in at the Slabodka Ghetto, he was cruelly beaten and was admitted to the hospital of the ghetto. On 27 Tamuz 1944 the Germans burned the hospital with its residents and hundreds of Jewish patients including Rabbi Avraham were killed on Kiddush Hashem.

Rabbi Avraham Pinchas ben Rabbi Moshe Grodzinsky (1908-1984) was educated as a child in Warsaw by his great father and grandfather. Even before he was Bar Mitzvah, he started studying at the Slabodka Yeshiva and was an enthusiastic disciple of the "saba" and the Mashgi’ach of the yeshiva, his uncle, Rabbi Avraham Grodzinsky. Later, he moved to study at the Lomzhe Yeshiva and then returned to Slabodka. In 1923, he immigrated with his parents and brothers to the Land of Israel, settling in Hebron where the yeshiva was founded in 1924. In Av 1929 he got married in Jerusalem and moved to live there. Several days later, his father Rabbi Moshe, his brother Rabbi Yaakov and his sister-in-law Leah were murdered in Hebron, known as the "1929 Pogrom". Rabbi Avraham Pinchas was a Mashgi’ach at the "Knesset Yisrael" Yeshiva and was ordained as a Moreh Hora’ah by his rabbis, Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer, Rabbi Yechezkel Sarna and Rabbi Shimshon Polansky. He had many disciples and took care of convincing the residents of the transit camps to send their sons to yeshivas. He served as the spiritual Mashgi’ach of the ‘Beit Hillel’ Yeshiva in Bnei Beral, giving Mussar lessons there. He founded the "Beit Avraham" Beit Midrash named after his uncle and authored the series of books "MiBeit Avraham".

Fold marks, restoration of tears along the fold lines, aging stains, wear to the circumference of the leaf with damage to several words. Fair-good condition.

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