מכתב שד"רות בחתימת רבי ישראל משקלוב ותלמידי הגר"א - ירושלים וצפת, תקצ"א

Letter of supplication requesting support for the settlement of the Vilna Gaon's disciples in the communities of Tzfat and Jerusalem. Signed by the Gaon's disciple Rabbi Israel of Shklov and leading members of the community of the Vilna Gaon's disciples. Jerusalem and Tzfat, Kislev 5591 (1830). Written as a personal petition letter delivered to the emissary (shadar) Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh son of Rabbi Yehuda, with a blank space left for the emissary to fill in the name of the benefactor: "… may he show compassion and mercy upon… the kingdom of Zion, the distinguished Holy of Holies… and its inhabitants and settlers… [disciples] of the school of Tana debei Eliyahu, namely our master the Gaon of Gaonim, pillar of the Great Men, light of the world, our master Eliyahu of blessed memory. In the two holy communities." The signatories are the rabbis: "Chaim Kohen who served as head of the rabbinical court of Pinsk and the Galilee" [who served in the rabbinate of Pinsk for approximately twenty years and was accepted also by the Hasidim; he immigrated to Tzfat in 5586 and served as its rabbi until his death in 5591]; "Israel, author of the book Taklin Hadtin, from the holy city of Tzfat" [Rabbi Israel of Shklov, disciple of the Vilna Gaon]; "Natan Neta, son of the rabbi and pious scholar Mohararm Mendel of blessed memory, from the holy city of Jerusalem" [known as Rabbi Neta the Great, he was among the leaders of the first group of the Vilna Gaon's disciples to immigrate in 5569; his father Rabbi Mendel of Shklov had ascended a year earlier to prepare the ground for this immigration. He died in Jerusalem in Tishrei 5607, and his gravestone bears the inscription "the rabbi, pious and humble"]; "Natan Neta, son of my master and father, the distinguished scholar Moreinu Saadia of blessed memory, from the holy city of Jerusalem" [a righteous and pious man, who merited attending upon the Vilna Gaon and would recite Mishnayot before him by heart. His father Rabbi Saadia was the head and leader of the Vilna Gaon's disciples who ascended to Jerusalem. He died in 5609]; "the humble Arye Leib, son of the rabbi Moreinu Yosef Leon" [among the leaders of the Ashkenazic community in Tzfat]; "Arye, the trustee of the holy city of Jerusalem" [Rabbi Arye Leib son of Rabbi Yerachmiel Marcus of Keidan (5560–5637), trustee of Kollel Perushim in Jerusalem and among the founders of the "Hurva" synagogue]; "Shlomo Zalman, son of Mohararz Wolf HaKohen" [emissary of the Land of Israel, father-in-law of Rabbi Yaakov Saphir, who died in Calcutta, India, in 5607]. See attached material regarding all the signatories. 23 cm, fine quality paper, very good condition. A similar document was printed from manuscript in the memorial volume Eshel HaNechalim, Bnei Brak, 5752, pp. 212–213.