Letter from Hebron Emissaries – Rabbi David Melamed and Rabbi Yisrael HaKohen – Livorno, 1725

Letter from Hebron Emissaries – Rabbi David Melamed and Rabbi Yisrael HaKohen – Livorno, 1725
Letter from R. David Melamed and R. Yisrael HaKohen, Hebron emissaries, while in Italy. Livorno, February 24, 1725.
Letter of thanks, in Italian, upon receipt of donations from Ancona. The bottom of the letter contains signatures in Hebrew: "David Melamed" and "Yisrael HaKohen".
Avraham Yaari describes the adventures of these two emissaries at length (Shluchei Eretz Israel, pp. 488-491). They set out from Hebron in 1718, the first time two emissaries were sent together to Europe on behalf of the Hebron community. Until then, only one messenger would go at a time. Yaari writes: "It seems that the distress mounted then in Hebron to a point that its leaders felt it necessary to send out two of its finest scholars". Their expedition lasted at least seven years, until 1725. They first travelled around the various towns of Italy. In Pisa, they became friendly with the rabbi R. Refael Meldola, and their signatures appear on two occasions in his responsa work (Mayim Chaim, Orach Chaim, sections 27, 42). Their next stop was Germany, apparently followed by Holland and France. They then went around Silesia and Moravia, continuing on to Breslau and Nikolsburg (Mikulov). In Nikolsburg, they were imprisoned by the authorities on account of taking money out of the borders of the country. In Tishrei 1724, they returned to Italy, and at that time wrote an approbation for R. Yitzchak Lampronti's book Pachad Yitzchak (printed at the beginning of Vol. II, Venice 1753). Their responsa on the laws of Tefillin were later included in a different part of Pachad Yitzchak (Letter Tav, Tefillin entry), based on their correspondence with R. Yitzchak Lampronti. In one of their letters to him, dated Kislev 12, 1724, they wrote: "Early tomorrow we will make our way to Livorno". The letter here was written approximately three months later (for further details see Yaari, ibid).
Folded leaf, [1] written page. On the verso, short inscription in Italian with the following words in Hebrew: "Sages of Hebron" and "donation". 30 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks.