A Beit Knesset for Chadera | Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit | Beit Midrash

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Igrot Hare’aya

קטגוריה משנית

Recipient: The council of Chadera and the residents of the moshava.

Body: My dear brothers, I received a letter that tells that the matter of house of prayer is very complicated in your dear moshava and that this is disgracing the honor of our holy Torah and generally the honor of Heaven and everything that is holy in Israel. Therefore, I am hereby coming to arouse your generous spirit, that you shall grasp all means at your disposal and put an end to this terrible disgrace by setting aside a place for Hashem in some respectable house to be used for prayer every day and especially Shabbat and the holidays.

Igrot Hare’aya (188)

Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit

187 - Trying to Arrange Purchase of Land in Eretz Yisrael – part II

188 - A Beit Knesset for Chadera

189 - Allow Farmers to Not Work during Shemitta

I have strong hope that in the merit of your doing so, Hashem will bless you in all of your endeavors. All who help in this matter of a great mitzva shall be blessed with every good thing and "disease should not approach his tent." May he see blessing in all his activity on holy soil.

Helping Shemitta Observers – #235
Date and Place: 23 Marcheshvan 5669, Yafo

Recipient: Rav Chaim Berlin (son of the Netziv, Rav Kook’s rosh yeshiva in Volozhin), former Chief Rabbi of Moscow, and, at the time, assistant to Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rav Shmuel Salant.

Body: There are some farmers who desire with all their hearts to desist from working the land during the Shemitta year, without making any use of the leniency of uprooting the sanctity of the Land as is commonly practiced. However, they will be able to do this only if they will be confident that they will receive help with their livelihood.

There are presently two people in Kostina (now, Be’er Tuvia in the south of Israel), who will need, in order to desist from agricultural work, 120 Napoleon gold coins. If they will be confident about receiving this amount, they will fulfill the [rules of the] Shabbat of the Land to the fullest degree, the way the Torah spells it out. Therefore, I want to make you, esteemed rabbi, aware, so that maybe you can find a financial source, together with other helpers, for this work for the sake of Heaven.

I do not need to write at length about the importance of this matter, certainly not to someone like you (Rav Berlin did not accept the Heter Mechira.) I would like to receive a clear response shortly, preferably by telegram, because the time to work the land has come, and they need to know their situation.