Students View Rebbe’s First Letter to Rogachover Gaon

On Sunday, Hey Teves, the Talmidim of Cheder Menachem in Los Angeles, California were privileged to view the original copy of the first known existing letter written by the Rebbe to the Rogatchover Gaon in 1925. It is printed in Igros Kodesh, Chelek 21.

This letter was found in a Shas that belonged to the Rogatchover Gaon. The finders gave a copy to the Rebbe, and later sold it at a Judaica auction.  Mr. Alan Stern from Los Angeles, a major collector of Judaic artifacts, bought it, together with several other interesting items. In honor of Hey Teves, Mr. Stern generously loaned it to the Cheder for the students to see.

Prior to the presentation, talmidim of the 7th and 8th grades learned the contents of the letter, as taught by Rabbi Sholom Kesselman, one of the melamdim of the 8th grade.

Other Judaic articles from Mr. Stern’s collection were shared with the Talmidim, including a letter from the Chafetz Chaim, written to an individual requesting assistance for his Yeshiva in Radin. At the end of the letter, the Chofeitz Chaim promised the individual a bracha for a child in the zechus of this Tzedaka (Mr. Stern related that indeed this individual was zoche to a child the next year – after 15 years without children).

A copy of the “Munkatcher Tanya,” printed in 5703 (1943) in Hungary, was also on display.

A Teshura with a copy of the Ksav Yad Kodesh of the Rebbe of this special letter from the Rebbe was distributed to the talmidim as a memento of the day’s special presentation, and to tadd to their ‘Bayis Molei Seforim.’

Following the presentation, talmidim from Rabbi Kesselman’s 8^th grade presented an interactive workshop on the history of Hey Teves to the younger talmidim of the Cheder.

On Monday, all talmidim and parents had the opportunity to purchase seforim by the Cheder’s annual Hey Teves Bookfair, adding to their personal Cheder Tzivos Hashem library and fulfilling the Rebbe’s directive for everyone to have a ‘Bayis Molei Seforim.’

A special thank you goes to Rabbi Yankee Raichik for arranging this special presentation for the Cheder.