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Exceptionally Rare Historic Letter from Rabbi Shmuel Avraham Shapira of Slavita, Written in Prison, Moscow 1855
A letter from the Rebbe Rabbi Shmuel Avraham (Abba), Shapira of Slavita, dated the 23rd of Cheshvan 5616, to his son-in-law, Rabbi Pinchas Yosef Shapira, and his daughter, Treina. This letter has many hints dealing with efforts to secure the release of Rabbi Shmuel Abba from prison. Rabbi Shmuel Abba starts the letter with brachos for his family members and predictions about the future, "May Hashem grant us all to see each other soon…" He also notes that the present is an opportune moment "…and the one appointed in his stead will not be worse than him…" referring to the demise of Czar Nicholas I (March 2 1855) and the crowning of his son, Alexander II (who ultimately granted clemency to the Rebbe).
The letter continues, "…regarding the matter [the release], I have nothing to write… I have received a letter from Mr. Eli Haber Mann from Petersburg, who spoke with the gentleman who exerted himself in the summer… (immediately after the death of Czar Nicholas), and he promised… The Rebbe also mentions, "…Mr. Shmariyah Loefler who seeks to help…
Rabbi Shmuel Abba concludes the letter with an appeal to his son-in-law, "… I beg you to fulfill the promise you made me several times, and do whatever I instruct you to do, the difficulties I burden you with regarding this should not feel burdensome…" He also requests his son-in-law to purchase an expensive wine (possibly used as a bribe or hinting at an imminent pardon); it remains unclear from the letter what the wine has to do with the pleas for assistance! The Rebbe concludes the letter with a tefilah that was answered… hoping for yeshuos Hashem and and the joyous prospect of seeing you soon live and healthy…"
The efforts to secure the Rebbe’s release were fruitful, and two months after writing this letter, he was granted a pardon.
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The plot against the Shapira brothers, owners of the Slavita Printing House
In 1835, Eliezer Protgin, one of the workers at the Slavita Printing House, committed suicide and hung himself in the Printing house. (He suffered from depression.) His family reported the incident and claimed that he was killed by the Shapira brothers, Rabbi Shmuel Aba and Rabbi Pinchas, as a means of preventing him from informing against them for printing anti-government/anti-Czar propaganda. An infamous priest, Bandrowski, jumped on the bandwagon and testified in court against the Achim Kedoshim, the Shapira brothers. He claimed that the deceased Eliezer had given him samples of the prohibited materials from Chasidim.
The Achim Kedoshim, Rabbi Shmuel Aba, and Rabbi Pinchas were sentenced to run the gauntlet. They would each be whipped 1500 times by 250 Russian soldiers. If they survived the gauntlet, they would be exiled to Siberia. Their heroism is well known. The brothers refused to continue running the gauntlet without their kaplech and continued to be beaten as they refused to move even one step without their yarmulka. (Some say this happened to Rabbi Pinchos, and others claim that it was Rabbi Shmuel Abba.) Rabbi Shmuel Abba survived the torture and, due to the efforts of his Chasidim, was imprisoned in Moscow instead of being exiled to Siberia. During the 17 years of imprisonment, he was treated by doctors. After Czar Nicholas died in 1855 and Czar Alexander was crowned, much effort was made to receive a pardon. On the 23rd of Teves 5616 (January 1, 1856), Czar Alexander granted the pardon.
This rare handwritten letter was written two months before the Rebbe was released from prison!
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The Tzaddik Rabbi Shmuel Avraham (Abba) Shapira of Slavita (1784-1864 ) was the son of Rabbi Moshe and grandson of the Rebbe Rabbi Pinchos Shapira of Koritz. Rabbi Moshe was rav of Slavita but did not want to earn his living from the rabbones. He opened a printing house in Slavita in 1792, where he printed Chasidishe seforim and sifrei yesod. Gedolei Ha’dor sought to use seforim printed at the Slavita Printing House. The Shapira brothers took over the printing house. Rabbi Shmuel Abba was a talmid of the Rebbe Rabbi Zusha of Anapole and the Rebbe Rabbi Baruch of Mezhibozh, a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov. Rabbi Shmuel Abba suffered pain from his punishment of running the gauntlet for the rest of his life. After his release, he established his Chasidus in Teplice, where he was known for his advice and brachos. Rabbi Shmuel Abba and Rabbi Pinchos are known as the Achim Ha’Kedoshim of Slavita. Many of the Rebbes in the Chasidishe world today are his great grandchildren.
Extremely Rare! There are barely any handwritten letters from Rabbi Shmuel Abba in the world!
1 pg. very good condition. placed in a nice leather binding.
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