Notebook of Beit Va'ad LaChachamim – Jerusalem, 1912 – With Signatures of the Ridvaz and Rabbi Y.Y. Diskin

Notebook of Beit Va'ad LaChachamim – Jerusalem, 1912 – With Signatures of the Ridvaz and Rabbi Y.Y. Diskin
Handwritten notebook, regulations of the Beit Va'ad LaChachamin organization, signed by R. Ya'akov David Ridvaz and by R. Yitzchak Yerucham Diskin. [Jerusalem, ca. 1912].
Signatures of 15 organization members: R. Shlomo Aharon Wertheimer, R. Yosef Shimshelevitz, R. Shmuel Gedalya Neiman, R. Yeshaya Ze'ev Vinograd, R. Moshe Uri Blau, R. Chaim Yuda Bergman, etc.
Beit Va'ad LaChachamim was established in 1906 as a central meeting place for Jerusalem's leading Torah scholars to assemble from time to time and grow in Torah stature. The plan was to unite prime Torah scholars to study halachic topics as a team illuminating various Torah ambiguities, especially regarding the laws of mitzvoth connected to the Land of Israel and to print compositions clarifying practical halachic issues. This manuscript lists the objectives of the organization: "1. To assemble at regular intervals…to facilitate close relationships among Torah scholars from various yeshivot and to instill friendship, peace and truth among them. 2. To discuss Torah matters with close companionship clarifying and elucidating Torah ambiguities…and reaching halachic conclusions…5. At special times, one of us will deliver a discourse, practicing his skills of speaking Torah and mussar topics in public…6. To attempt to gather a library of the books of our holy sages on all Torah subjects for the meeting place for clarification of all types of laws and practices. 7. Every Rosh Chodesh afternoon, an assembly will take place…to improve the situation of Torah students…8. Every Shabbat, the meeting place will be open for all who seek the word of G-d…".
R. Ya'akov David Wilovsky, the Ridvaz (1845-1913), fostered high hopes for the development of this institute from several perspectives: 1. To change the study methods in the Jerusalem Yeshivot to a more profound method of study without tampering with the yeshiva management. 2. To give opportunities for skilled and gifted yeshiva students to blossom, maturing to become Torah leaders. 3. To raise the honor of the Torah and its scholars and to improve the financial state of Jerusalem's leading Torah scholars.
In the end, the Beit Va'ad LaChachamim did not endure and in 1911 it closed [after the financial collapse of the Torat Chaim yeshiva, which was the mainstay of this institute]. In 1912-1913, the Ridvaz attempted to reinstitute the Beit Va'ad and sent his disciple R. Yehuda Leib Zeltzer [Rabbi of Paterson, NJ] from Safed to Jerusalem to reopen the institute with a plan designed in advance. The activities of the Beit Va'ad were renewed until its final closure in 1914 upon the outbreak of WWI. Apparently, this notebook documents the regulations of the reinstituted Beit Va'ad in 1912 [perhaps they are from 1909-1910, however, more reasonably, these regulation were initiated by the Ridvaz upon the reinstitution of the Beit Va'ad in 1912].
Notebook. 28.5 cm. 4 written pages. The rest are blank leaves. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Loose leaves. Original cover, worn and lacking spine.