Beschreibung:

Large collection of dozens of letters in Hebrew and in Yiddish, handwritten and signed by Rabbi Chaim Simcha Soloveitchik, to his grandson Dr. Yitzchak Refael HaLevi Holzberg and his family, from 1900-1917. Additional letters and documents in Russian and in Lithuanian. Copy from the list of residents, 1885; passport; a document regarding the assets of the Soloveitchik family in Kovno; and more. the letters mention various topics in the name of Rabbi Chaim Simcha's nephew - Rabbi Chaim of Brisk. Rabbi Chaim Simcha HaLevi Soloveitchik (c. 1830-1921), the younger brother of Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik author of Beit HaLevi – both sons of Rabbi Yitzchak Ze'ev Soloveitchik "Rabbi of the community" in Kovno, son of the daughter of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. An exceptional Torah scholar and wise sage, one of the foremost rabbis of the Kovno community. From his youth, he was recognized as a great genius among the disciples of the Maharil Diskin and was a friend of his son Rabbi Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin. this connection of Rabbi and disciple persevered for many years and Rabbi Soloveitchik assisted the Maharil for many years. When the Maharil Diskin travelled to Paris on his way to Eretz Israel, his beloved disciple Rabbi Chaim Simcha accompanied him to take care of all his teacher's arrangements. When the Maharil Diskin was imprisoned following charges based on libel, Rabbi Chaim Simcha got himself imprisoned too, so that he could serve his teacher. Later, he accompanied him to Paris on his way to Eretz Israel, in order to take care of all travel arrangements. Rabbi Chaim Simcha was known for his sharp mind and in 1879, when Rabbi Yosef Dov, author of Beit HaLevi was chosen as Rabbi of Brisk, he requested his brother to assist him in arranging the rabbinic community matters in his new environment. Rabbi Chaim Simcha arrived at Brisk, and during a month succeeded in fixing new arrangements in all public and community institutes. Again, when his nephew Rabbi Chaim was chosen in 1892 to succeed his father in the city of Brisk, he invited his uncle Rabbi Chaim Simcha to assist him lest he stumble in his first steps in the rabbinate. [At that time, both of them foiled a blood-libel spread by an apostate about the Rabbi of Biala – see enclosed material]. In the spring of 1915, during World War I, the Jews were expelled from the city of Kovno. Rabbi Chaim Simcha was exiled from his home and after wandering at length, he reached the Smolensk region in inner Russia, there he resided at the estate of one of his acquaintances in the village of Shirkovka. He died on the 25th of Shevat 1921 and was buried in the city of Khotsimsk [this archive contains a letter in Russian, written in Smolensk on January 10, 1921 – five days after Rabbi Soloveitchik's death]. the letters are from the archive of Rabbi Chaim Simcha's grandson Rabbi Yitzchak Refael HaLevi Etzyon-Holzberg (1885-1981), whose mother died some two weeks after his birth. He was raised by his grandfather Rabbi Chaim Simcha like his own son. (See Items 259, 383 for more information about Rabbi Chaim Simcha and his grandson). Approximately 35 items, more than 50 leaves, containing almost 30 letters in Hebrew and in other languages, handwritten and signed by Rabbi Chaim Simcha Soloveitchik and his family. Varied size and condition.