Discourse of Angels: Letters from Two Gedolei HaDor - the Chazon Ish and Rav Ya'akov Landau

Discourse of Angels: Letters from Two Gedolei HaDor - the Chazon Ish and Rav Ya'akov Landau

Pair of two extremely important letters from rabbinic leaders of the generation, the leader of the Lithuanian ("Yeshivish") community and of the entire generation, Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz, author of Chazon Ish; and a scion of Chassidic rabbis, the gaon Rabbi Ya'akov Landau, av beit din of Bnei Brak, a follower of the Rasha"b of Lubavitch (who was even under consideration as a possible successor to the Rasha"b as Admo"r). Bnei Brak, 1945.

Pair of rare and important letters with value that is difficult to overstate. A letter and its response, written on the same leaf of paper, one on each side. The letters were written, as stated, by the two Gedolei HaDor - the Lithuanian and the Chassidic (respectively), who extraordinarily both lived in the same small colony of Bnei Brak, just recently established. The letter reflects the special connection that developed between the Chazon Ish and Rav Landau; the letter demonstrates that the Chazon Ish relied on him and his weighty halachic decisions, deferential to him as rabbi of the city.

Important letter that helped transform Bnei Brak into the Torah capital and also the base of the renowned Kashrut system, considered the best in the world. The two leaders of the generation discuss the halachahs of shechitah and treifah and agree on a joint practical halachic ruling despite their differences in their scholarly/halachic opinions.

This pair of letters emphasizes the totally different characteristics of the two personalities - Rabbi Landau's 'strict' and uncompromising character, as expressed in typical rabbinic firmness, despite his being 15 years the Chazon Ish's junior! "Right after he finishes his prayers, I proved to him that he erred in practice" (!!), and on the other hand, the Chazon Ish's attitude towards Rabbi Landau, in his golden and deferential language, "I intend only to determine the halachah in cooperation with his honor" or "In the end, his honor's opinion is that it is treif ... So how could I rule otherwise?"!

As aforementioned, the two giants of the generation, writers of this letter, notably both lived in the small colony of Bnei Brak, just recently established. There is no logical reason for this, as it was just a small, peripheral town, not the Chareidi metropolis it is today - thanks in no small part to these two personages. A similar incredible phenomenon occurred in a small town in Lithuania called Dvinsk, where two rabbinic leaders of the generation served side-by-side - the author of Ohr Somayach, the Mitnaged, and his Chassidic counterpart, the author of Tzofnat Paneach, known as "The Rogochover."

[2] pp, approximately 23 cm. Each page bears a separate letter - the first page is the one from the Chazon Ish [approx. 200 words] - in his hand and with his signature, and the second page bears Rabbi Y. Landau's [approx. 60-word] letter in his hand and with his signature.

Fine condition. Minimal aging stains. Restored tear across the width of the leaf. Tiny tears in the margins.