Four Letters from Rebbes of the Hassidic Dynasty of Slonim: "Yesod HaAvodah", "Divrei Shmuel", "Beit Avraham", and ...

Four Letters from Rebbes of the Hassidic Dynasty of Slonim: "Yesod HaAvodah", "Divrei Shmuel", "Beit Avraham", and "Birkat Avraham"

Four interesting letters from Rebbes of the Slonim Hassidic dynasty: R. Avraham Weinberg (the first) of Slonim, author of Yesod HaAvodah; his grandson R. Shmuel Weinberg of Slonim, author of Divrei Shmuel; his great-grandson R. Avraham Weinberg (the second), author of Beit Avraham; and his great-grandson R. Avraham Weinberg (the third), of Tiberias and Jerusalem, author of Birkat Avraham.

1. Long letter (2 pp.) in the handwriting of Rebbe Avraham Weinberg and his (short) signature, sent to Eretz Israel, addressed to his beloved disciple R. Yehudah Leib and his grandchildren (R. Noach Weinberg and R. Yitzchak Matityahu Sendberg, who immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1870), with encouragement and guidance (including a moral rebuke about a falling-out of some kind between the friends). At the end of the letter, the Rebbe asks them to correspond with his grandson, the Divrei Shmuel, and concludes with a prayer for friendship: "Write to my dear grandson Shmuel… may G-d grant me and you true love and friendship, along with all of Israel. The words of… their friend when they will listen, who seeks their welfare, Avraham". [Slonim, ca. 1870-1880].
The Rebbe of Slonim, author of Yesod HaAvodah, kept a continual correspondence with his followers and grandchildren on deep and scholarly matters relating to Chassidism and service of G-d (primarily with those who had immigrated to Israel, to the Hassidic community in Tiberias). Some of these letters were printed posthumously in his book Yesod HaAvodah (in the letters section) as well as at the end of the book Be'er Avraham on the Torah. However, this letter is not printed there.

[1] double leaf (2 written pages). Fair condition. Stains and faded ink. Open tears, heavily affecting text (restored with paper filling).

2. Manuscript (two leaves), a Chassidic discourse on repentance and prayer, in the handwriting and (short) signature of the second Rebbe of Slonim, author of Divrei Shmuel.
The discourse for Parashat Noach was sent as a letter "to friends who listen to the words of G-d… spoken on the holy Shabbat, as speech of the righteous…", and at the end he signs, "Hoping for G-d's salvation, for me to merit to practice as I preach, Sh.".
Printed in Divrei Shmuel, Jerusalem, 1974, pp. 225-226 (where the signature, the Hebrew letter Shin, is not printed at the end of the discourse).

[2] leaves. 28 cm (written on one side only; one written lengthwise and the other breadthwise). Good condition. Stains and folds.

3. Letter written and signed by Rebbe Avraham Weinberg (the second), sent to Tiberias, addressed to his relative R. Avraham Weinberg (the third) on the occasion of the bar-mitzvah of his son, R. Zelig Weinberg. [Baranavichy, ca. 1922.] At the end of the letter after the signature, another letter to the bar mitzvah boy with encouragement and guidance: "The dear son, wise child, Mr. Zelig, may he live… Know with certainty that every good movement you inculcate in your heart and mind now will bring you great and amazing benefit until one hundred and twenty years… And cherish the days of your youth, and be strong and mighty in Torah and fear of G-d, for this is all of man's perfection…". In the margins of the letter the Rebbe of Baranavichy writes the name of a woman (with her father's and husband's names) for the Rebbe R. Avraham of Tiberias to mention in his prayer "…to be remembered for good, for living and enduring offspring".

[1] leaf (written on both sides), approx. 21 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and tears, restored with glue and acidic tape.

4. A long letter (3 pages) written and signed by the Rebbe R. Avraham Weinberg (the third), to his son R. Zelig. [Tiberias, ca. 1934-1935.]
Among other things, he mentions the attempt to get a certificate (permit to immigrate to Eretz Israel) for his son-in-law, R. Shalom Noach Berezovsky (who immigrated to Eretz Israel in late 1935; later a Rebbe, and author of "Netivot Shalom").

[1] double leaf. 19.5 cm (containing 3 written pages). Good-fair condition. Stains, wear and folds.

Rebbe Avraham Weinberg, first Rebbe of Slonim, author of Yesod HaAvodah (1803-1883), a brilliant and holy kabbalist, and an original and innovative scholar. He was a close disciple of his teachers, Rebbe Noach of Lechovitz and Rebbe Moshe of Kobryn. After the passing of his teacher, Rebbe Moshe of Kobryn, in Nissan 1858, he established his court in Slonim, and most of the Kobryn Chassidim accepted his authority and began frequenting his court. He would conduct Tish not only on Shabbat and festivals, but also on weekdays. Like an ever-flowing wellspring, he delivered many extremely profound Chassidic discourses, and produced many works on all parts of the Torah (most were lost during the Holocaust). Some of his writings were published posthumously. His renowned books are Chessed LeAvraham, Yesod HaAvodah, and Be'er Avraham on Mechilta. After the Holocaust, some of his writings were published in additional volumes of Chessed LeAvraham and Be'er Avraham.
The recipient of the first letter, rabbi Yehudah Kastelanitz-Slonim, nephew of the Yesod HaAvodah. Immigrated to Tiberias and became a leader among Slonim Chassidim. His son is Rebbe Mordechai Chaim Slonim, and his son-in-law is R. Moshe Kliers, Chief Rabbi of Tiberias.
Rebbe Shmuel Weinberg, second Rebbe of Slonim, author of Divrei Shmuel (1850-1916), grandson and close disciple of the Yesod HaAvodah. He began serving as Rebbe ca. 1883. He always led his flock in Europe and Tiberias with exceptional love and devotion. He was personally involved in the education and spiritual guidance of the youth and saved many from spiritual decline. For most of his life, he was engaged in raising funds for Kollel Reisin in Tiberias. His most remarkable accomplishment was the establishment of the Or Torah yeshiva in Tiberias. He was also one of the founders of Agudath Yisrael in 1912.
His son, Rebbe Avraham Weinberg (the second) of Slonim-Jerusalem, author of Beit Avraham (1884-1933), began leading the Slonim Chassidut in 1916, expending great effort to rebuild the Chassidut after World War I. In 1918, he founded the Torat Chessed yeshiva in Baranavichy together with his close friend R. Moshe Midner. The yeshiva was a unique combination of the Lithuanian style of learning together with Chassidic fervor in worship of G-d. He lived in Bialystok until 1929, and then in Baranavichy.
Rebbe Avraham Weinberg (the third), author of Birkat Avraham (1889-1981), was born in Tiberias to his father R. Noach (brother of the Rebbe the Divrei Shmuel, and grandson of the first Rebbe Avraham Weinberg, author of Yesod HaAvodah). Among the leaders of Or Torah Yeshiva in Tiberias and founders of the Haredi educational system in Eretz Israel. Following the Holocaust, the elders of the Slonim Chassidism approached him and sought to appoint him as Rebbe, but he declined and promoted the appointment of his friend R. Mordechai Chaim Slonim. Only after the demise of Rebbe Motel Slonimer in 1954 did R. Avraham (who was at the time about sixty-five years old) agree to serve as leader of the community. He then moved to Jerusalem and led the Chassidic community for some twenty-seven years, and served as a member of the Council of Torah Sages.