The Holy Admor Shlit"a Rescued from Life-Threatening Danger - Moving Letter by Rabbi Yechezkel Feigin, May ...

The Holy Admor Shlit"a Rescued from Life-Threatening Danger - Moving Letter by Rabbi Yechezkel Feigin, May Hash-m Avenge his Blood, about the Rescue of the Admor Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak during WWII. Riga, 1940

Moving letter by the Admor Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak's secretary, Rabbi Yechezkel Feigin, about the Admor's suffering, written in Riga on 19 Tevet 1939 when he fled together with the Admor, a short time before Rabbi Feigin's murder by the Nazis, may their names be erased, in Riga.

'The sheet is too short to contain, there is no human power capable of describing ... for a month we have been deluged by arrows and catapult stones and consuming fire surrounding us, and thank G-d whose lovingkindness and truth have not abandoned us and our fellows, and the crown upon our heads, the Admor, shlit"a, who survived life-threatening danger, Heaven forbid, which was hovering, and we saw success, although his property and that of his family was consumed by fire, and thank G-d this was in exchange for their lives, all remained intact.' The writer then describes the state of the Admor's health 'And the situation and suffering have understandably affected his health, and when he arrived he went to the sanatorium, and he is there, may Hash-m send him a full recovery soon,' and about the suffering they endured during their escape. As such, he writes that the Admor is considering relocating to America and would like to know about the Yeshiva's situation and how the students are faring, and the Admor's involvment in the "maamad" despite his present difficult situation.

Rabbi Yechezkel Feigin [Chatz'che, 1895-1942] had been Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak's personal secretary since 1927. He also served as principal of the underground network of yeshivas, Tomchei Temimim, in the Soviet Union. From the time he was appointed secretary and principal of the yeshiva network, he accompanied his Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak where ever he went. Rabbi Feigin arrived in Riga with his Rebbe on 5 Tevet 1939. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak succeeded in escaping from Riga and eventually arrived in the United States. All efforts (even those of his Rabbi Y"Y) to smuggle Rabbi Feigin out failed. On the 2nd of Kislev 1941, the Nazis conducted an aktion and brought most of the Jews to the synagogue and set it on fire with everyone inside. The Nazis forced many Jews to watch the spectacle of the burning synagogue. Chassidic leaders were gathered inside the synagogue. The chassid Rabbi Yitzchak Gurevitz removed the Torah scroll from the holy ark and broke out in dance with Rabbi Yechezkel Feigin as they burned alive along with the rest of the Jews inside, in sanctification of G-d's Name. When the Rebbe received a letter about their deaths in 1945, he fainted with grief.

[1] leaf 22x28 cm. Fold marks. Fine condition.