"May Hashem be with you and open your heart to Torah"
Halachic Rulings for Pesach in the holy handwriting of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld
Jerusalem, 1887
A beautiful letter containing responsa with complete questions and answers. On the first page are questions in halacha in the handwriting of Rabbi Aharon Simcha Blumenthal that he sent to his teacher Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, later the leader of the chareidi community in Eretz Yisrael. On the second page are Rabbi Sonnenfeld’s responses in his own handwriting.
The questions and answers deal with practical laws: Laws of eating matzah; a Jew who leaves chametz with his friend; blessings of Asher Yatzar and hand-washing; nusach of blessings – when we say "al mitzvos" and when not; combining different species for the blessing on challah separation, and more.
In one of the questions, the questioner referred to a blessing that some had the custom to recite on the commandment of making a fence on a roof, to which Rabbi Sonnenfeld responds briefly and sharply: "Regarding making a fence – who revealed this blessing to you? The Rokeach holds that one does not recite any blessing on it at all…"
Rabbi Sonnenfeld opens the letter with the blessing
"May Hashem be with you, and open your heart to Torah and divine service", and at the end, he repeats the blessing:
"May Hashem strengthen us for His Torah and His service every day, signed by Hakatan [the humble] Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld"
A very rare and important letter.
The leader of the chareidi Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael,
Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (1849-1932) immigrated from Hungary to Eretz Yisrael in his youth, with his teacher, Rabbi Avraham Shag. In Jerusalem, he became close to Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin and received Torah and guidance from him. In addition to his greatness in Torah, he served as the head of the Hungarian Community for many years, and from 1920, he served as the first Av Beis Din of the Eidah Chareidis.
The questioner and recipient of the response is
Rabbi Aharon Simcha Blumenthal who was born in Hungary in 1870 and immigrated to Eretz Yisrael in his youth. He became close to Rabbi Sonnenfeld and became his student, as he signed this letter, which he wrote at age 17. He published some of his Torah insights in various journals, and also in the journal he printed himself – "Moriah". During World War I he traveled to America where he served as Rav in several cities. He passed away in 1963 at the advanced age of 93.
After Rabbi Sonnenfeld’s signature, some names of his children and the name of the recipient were written. These were in all likelihood written by one of Rabbi Sonnenfeld’s children.
The letter was printed in Shu"t ‘Toras Chaim’, third edition, section 120.
Jerusalem, 1887. Double leaf – 4 sides, of which one page is in Rabbi Sonnenfeld’s handwriting, and two pages are in the questioner Rabbi Aharon Simcha’s handwriting.
Page Size: 14.5 x 23 cm.
Condition: Good, small tears at margins. Page Count: 2 leaves.
