Promissory Note from the Leaders of the Palota Community in Hungary - Financial Support for Rabbi Amram Chasida ...

Promissory Note from the Leaders of the Palota Community in Hungary - Financial Support for Rabbi Amram Chasida, upon his Immigration to Eretz Israel - Signed by R. Zev Wolf Chayes Rabbi of Palota - 1825
Handwritten document, signed by the Palota community leaders, attesting to the commitment of the community members to financially support R. Amram Rosenbaum (known as R. Amram Chasida), with the signature of the rabbi of the city R. Zev Wolf Chayes Rabbi of Palota. Palota (Várpalota), 17th Tammuz, 1825. In this document, signed on the eve of R. Amram Chasida's journey to Eretz Israel, the community undertakes to send him the sum of ten gulden annually, from the community fund. "At the close of this day, when the community leaders and most of the community members gathered, to discuss the matter pertaining to… the true Torah scholar… R. Amram son of R. Nachum of Vashan, who served as rabbi and yeshiva dean in several holy communities. And all the people in this country desire to be of assistance and support to this great Torah scholar, at least in a minute way, to provide him with food there in Eretz Israel, for satiety rather than hunger. Therefore, we, the undersigned… have instituted to give this Torah scholar during his stay in the Holy Land, the sum of ten gulden yearly… and for this year we will give him immediately the sum of ten gulden, today, Sunday, 17th Tammuz 1825, Palota. And every year we will give him this sum of 10 gulden from the community fund". The text of this promissory note is followed by the signatures of 12 community leaders. An additional inscription appears at the foot of the leaf, signed by the town rabbi, R. Zev Wolf Chayes, and the community trustees: "And the aforementioned signed before me, in the presence of most of the members of our community, and I therefore confirm it and uphold it, today, 17th Tammuz 1825 - Zev Wolf Chayes, residing here, Palota. Natan Trebitsch, trustee of Palota". R. Binyamin Zev Wolf Chayes (1768?-Cheshvan 1846, Ishim BiTeshuvot HaChatam Sofer, p. 91). A disciple of the Chatam Sofer, he studied under R. Levi Pollack in Tritsch (Třešť). He was thereafter appointed as rabbi of Stampfen (Stupava), and in 1810, of Várpalota (a town in Veszprém county, Hungary), position he held for over 36 years. Responsa Chatam Sofer contains several responsa addressed to him (see Ishim BiTeshuvot HaChatam Sofer, ibid). R. Amram Rosenbaum (1790-1830), a foremost disciple of the Chatam Sofer. Son-in-law of R. Yisrael Rabbi of Palota. In his early years, he lived in Palota and was held in high esteem by the community members. He served as rabbi of Mád, Hungary, and immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1826, where he served as rabbi of Safed. He was known from his youth for his brilliance and holiness (reputedly, already as a child he received a revelation from the prophet Elijah). He was dubbed by his teacher "R. Amram Chasida" (after the Amora by this name who is mentioned in the Talmud). His immigration to Eretz Israel was a historic event in the annals of Hungarian communities. R. Amram travelled through various communities who rejoiced to partner in this great deed, by undertaking to financially support his settlement in Eretz Israel. After he reached Eretz Israel, he attempted to convince his teacher the Chatam Sofer to also immigrate to the Holy Land, yet the latter responded to him in a lengthy letter detailing all his reasons for remaining in Europe (see Responsa Chatam Sofer, Yoreh De'ah section 233. At the beginning of that responsum, the Chatam Sofer terms him a G-dly prince, pious and ascetic, and other titles which disclose his great veneration for his disciple). In a different responsum in Responsa Chatam Sofer (Yoreh De'ah section 234), in which the Chatam Sofer writes to R. Efraim Zalman Margolies regarding the importance of residing in Jerusalem, he relates to him: "… and indeed, before R. Amram departed, I repeatedly enjoined him to only reside in Jerusalem, dwelling place of the holy Temple… and he travelled with the intention of reaching Jerusalem via Yaffo, and G-d diverted him to Safed via Akko, and after he arrived there, he wrote to me seeking advice on whether he should move from there to Jerusalem… since he had already settled there, and according to his letter, relocating to Jerusalem would be difficult for him, and I understood that he was only trying to appease me for disregarding my advice, therefore I let things be". R. Amram Chasida passed away at the young age of forty, and his teacher the Chatam Sofer eulogized him: "He literaly sacrificed himself out of the sorrow of the Shechina… apart from being a notable and renowned Torah scholar while still in Europe, even upon immigrating to Eretz Israel his preeminence was recognized…". His descendants include many families of Hungarian rabbis (R. Amram Blum author of Beit She'arim and others). [1] leaf. 32.5 cm. High-quality paper. Good condition. Stains. Worming.