Lot 40:

'We are Anguished since We Cannot Prevent the Deed of the Liberals who Have Thrown Off the Yoke' Lengthy Psak Halacha on Participating in a Population Census Handwritten and Signed by the Steipler

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‘May he please inform me what the Geonim of Tshebin Shlita and the Chazon Yechezkel Shlita have replied’ Psak Halacha, two pages, handwritten and signed by the Steipler, on the ban on participating in the a population census. Bnei Berak, 1961.

At the beginning of the Psak which was sent to Rabbi Yonah Mertzbach, the Rav of Darmstadt and member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, the Rosh Yeshiva of Kol Torah, the Steipler bans the participation in a population census: ‘בדבר שרוצים לעשות מפקד אשר תוה"ק הזהירה זה ושאל מעכ"ת מה יש לחרדים לעשות, ודאי צריך שלא להשתתף בזה היינו שלא לענות על השאלון ולבאר הטעם מפני שזה אסור ע"פ ד"ת.

The Steipler modestly adds that if a Psak Halacha is published by Geonim, he will be willing to add his signature to it ‘although we are anguished since we cannot prevent the deed of the liberals who have thrown off the yoke…’

The Steipler writes at length about sides of Issur and Heiter, his concern being that non-Jews are also included if they are Jews by the identy card and not by the Torah.

At the end of the letter, he asks to hear the opinion of the Geonim the great Gaon of Tshebin and the Gaon the Chazon Yechezkel.

The letter ends with his blessings and handwritten signature.

On verso of the leaf, Torah innovations handwriten by the Steipler on Dinei Rov BeMetzi’ot.

[1] ]official stationery, written on both sides. Fold lines and filing marks. Wear. Aging stains. Good condition.

Measurement: 14 x 23 CM

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