Good Work, Regrettable Language – #330 | Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit | Beit Midrash

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Recipient and Background: Rabbi Binyamin Menashe Levine. Levine was a protégé of Rav Kook from when Rav Kook was a rabbi in Biosk. We have seen warm letters between them over the years. Rav Kook encouraged Rav Levine’s scholarship. Rabbi Levine’s greatest field of expertise was the period of the Geonim, and he published the letters of Rav Shrira Gaon. This interchange relates to Levine’s introduction to the book on Rav Shrira Gaon. It was probably written in German, the academic language of Rav Levine’s milieu (he studied in the University of Bern).

Body: Dear friend, I received your dear composition, some time ago. I do not need to explain to your honor the nature of the joy of my heart to see your glorious work. It is a sign of fabulous diligence, which is a testament to your true love for the ancient luminaries of the Torah. This encapsulates all of the life of our spirit, and these are visible at every corner of your dear composition. This also demonstrates the quality of your major work on the whole publication, which filled my heart with the joy of salvation. Continue to succeed, my dear, be prominent in Efrat and have a name in Beit Lechem of the gates (a sophisticated play on words from Rut 4:11 and Shoftim 5:8, which is very hard to convey in translation), the gates of Torah and the thoughts of holy scholars.

Igrot Hare’aya (200)

Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit

233 - Description of New Yeshiva’s Goals to a Supporter – #328

234 - Good Work, Regrettable Language – #330

235 - Worse on the Outside, Better on the Inside – #332

However, a tiny measure of pain is mixed in with my great satisfaction. I considered that it would have been better if this dear treasure would have been written in our holy language, the true acquisition of Hashem’s nation. But this is a widespread problem, from which we hope we can move on when the nations will clearly change to a desire to call out in the Name of Hashem. Then they will collect for us all of our treasures (Torah manuscripts) that exist on foreign soil. Maybe you will recover and transfer the treasure of your goodness to our holy language. This will enrich the new Hebrew language, which has been disgraced from the honor it deserves by its defilers, so that it will return to being expensive property and attractive jewelry, honored by Hashem and by man.

Congratulations on New Rabbinical Position – #331

Date and Place: 25 Elul 5670 (1910), Yafo

Recipient and Background: Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlop, upon being appointed the rabbi of the new Sha’arei Chesed neighborhood of Jerusalem. I have seen earlier dating for his appointment to this position and do not know if he was appointed in stages.

Body: My heart is joyful with the good news that, thank G-d, "he who guarded the fig tree will eat its fruit" (Mishlei 27:18). May you stand in good health, "well-fed" and fresh, as you look after the sacred on the holy mountain until the time that a new song will be written, when the Temple will return to the holy city on the lofty, holy mountain.

May you be blessed as you enter the position of the rabbinate within the holy community, and may all enjoy the light of your Torah and your fear of Hashem. May the pleasantness of Hashem be upon you and upon them. "As soon as a Torah scholar is present, there is blessing" (see Berachot 42a). Fortunate are your congregants, that their lot fell upon a righteous man, a man among men with a pure heart and a straight path, a person who has everything in the realm of Torah and pure fear of Hashem with excellent attributes.

Please send these sincere words of blessing to the holy community who "encamp around your flag."

Igrot Hare’aya