The Appointment Letter for the Rabbi of Kalniblat to the Grandson of the Holy Rabbi Pinchas of Karitz Zt"l – 1832
The appointment letter from the residents of the city of Kalniblat, for the gaon Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas Palansky, in which the city’s residents write about the sacred lineage of Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas, noting that his grandfather, Rabbi Shmuel, son-in-law of the Holy Rabbi Pinchas of Karitz, initially served as their rabbi. The strength of his rabbinic authority was confirmed by him:
"..the great gaon, a holy light, the rabbi of the community of Shaputka, Zt"l..", (it is known that he wrote the appointment letter himself, see ‘Eretz Yisrael of Above’, p. 94). His leadership continued for 22 years, and after him, in the year 1812, his father Rabbi Aharon served as the rabbi. After his passing, they appointed his son, Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas, as the rabbi of Kalniblat in 1832.
The appointment letter is signed by the town’s Moetzes (advisors) and residents. (Apparently, only the prominent members of the town who knew how to write signed their names, while the rest of the signatures were written by the scribe).
The holy gaon Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas Palansky, Av Beis Din of Kalniblat, was the son of the gaon Rabbi Aharon, who was the son of Rabbi Shmuel, the rabbies of Kalniblat for generations. Rabbi Shmuel was the well-known son-in-law of the holy gaon Rabbi Pinchas of Karitz Zt"l. Upon reaching marriageable age, Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas was taken as the son-in-law of the holy gaon Rabbi Aryeh Leib of Bender Zt"l. Rabbi Aryeh Leib was the uncle of the holy gaon Rabbi Yisrael of Rozhin and the son of the Maggid of Svaran Zt"l. Through this marriage, Rabbi Eliyahu Pinchas became the first cousin of the holy ‘Saba Kaddisha’ of Rozhin. In 1831, he was appointed as the rabbi of Kalniblat, continuing the legacy of his ancestors. Among his descendants was the famous gaon Rabbi Shimshon Aharon Palansky, ‘The Rabbi of Teplik’.
The appointment letter is printed in Amrei Pinchas, (Edition of 2003, p. 499).
