Rare Letter Handwritten and Signed by Rabbi Naftali Chanales to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld – Safed, 1908

Rare Letter Handwritten and Signed by Rabbi Naftali Chanales to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld – Safed, 1908
A long letter handwritten and signed by Rabbi Naftali Chanales to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld and the leaders of the Kollel Ungarin of Jerusalem.
The content of the letter: complaint and criticism against a fraudulent letter about the elderly citizens home in Safed. At the same time he describes the great importance of the institution. The writer asks Rabbi Sonnenfeld "to hear the testimonies of witnesses who are in Jerusalem and who know the truth and to reveal the liar who wrote the fraudulent letter … and to sanctify God's name…"
He signs: Naftali Chanales the grandson of the Ba'al Shem Tov and the grandson of the author of the Turei Zahav…"
Rabbi Naftali Chanales (1856-1925) was twelve years old when he immigrated with his parents to the Land of Israel to live in Safed. His pious mother dedicated her life to charity and made all the efforts to raise her son to be a great Torah scholar. To honor and show her respect, her son was named after her "Chanales" (Chanale's son). He studied with the most prominent rabbis of Safed until he became a rabbi and great Torah scholar.
In addition, he was an enthusiastic Chovev Zion and made many efforts to bring the Hassidic Rebbes to Zionism. He was a Mohel of the children of Rosh Pinah and the neighborhood. Due to his being respected by all the Jews of the Land of Israel, in 1908 he was chosen together with Rabbi Ya'akov Mendelbaum, to serve as the representatives of the Yishuv in a conference of Jews from all over the Ottoman Empire to choose their Chief Rabbi.
26 cm.
Condition: Good. Slight tears.