Letter Handwritten and Signed by Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Walid Av Beit Din of Tétouan Author of "Vaymer Yitzchak" – ...

Letter Handwritten and Signed by Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Walid Av Beit Din of Tétouan Author of "Vaymer Yitzchak" – Signature of Rabbi Vidal Yisrael – Tétouan, 1834

Letter by the Beit Din of Tétouan, by the Kabbalist miracle-worker Rabbi Yitzchal Ben Walid author of "Vayomer Yitzchak" and with the signature of Rabbi Vidal Yisrael. Tétouan, 1834. The letter was sent to "Our scholarly friends the excellent Dayanim of Fes". The letter is entirely handwritten and signed by Rabbi Yitzchak ben Walid and bears the signature of Rabbi Vidal Yisrael, one of the Dayanim of Tétouan.

About a woman whose husband left home, leaving her and her children poor and miserable without any income. And so writes the rabbi: "About and for thus poor woman Tzo'arah the wife of … not a long time passed and he went bankrupt and went far away, leaving his wife and sons starving and now she has heard that the above husband three times a year comes to your holy camp and celebrates and leaves and does not remember his wife and sons and the community has to take care of her … so she is asking you that when he comes to celebrate Passover, may you force him to return home … Yitzchak Ben Walid … Vidal Yisrael".

Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Walid (1777-1870) a great Torah and kabbala sage, the chief rabbi of Tétouan, Morocco. The greatness of his responsa book "Veyomer Yitzchak" two sections (Livorno, 1776) was known to Gedolei Hador. His miracles and wonders came out due to the ziyārah [pilgrimage] to his grave. His holy staff helped cure many.

He was born in 1777 to his father Rabbi Shem Tov. Studied with two great rabbis, Rabbi Menachem Nahon Av Beit Din in Tétouan and Rabbi Moshe Halevi. Together with his diligence, he showed signs of holiness and purity, staying away from food and drink and fasting. Despite his greatness, humility was his guideline and everything he did, he did secretly and modestly. After the death of the Av Beit Din Rabbi Moshe Halevi in 1830, he was appointed Av Beit Din of Tétouan. The letter of commission was signed by approx. sixty of Gedolei Hador. His Beit Midrash and Beit Din became well-known, so much so that everyone appealed to it and even the sages of the Land of Israel sent him halachic questions. His large book contains more than 400 responsum. There, one can find responses to rabbis from all over the world. He was the father of orphans and Dayan of widows and his house was open to all. In 1866, he lost his son Rabbi Ya'akov and it greatly affected him. On Friday, the eighth of Adar 1870, shortly before Sabbath, the rabbi passed away (at the age of 93) while whispering "Mizmor Shir L'Yom Hashabbat".

His grave became a ziyārah, to which not only Jews but also gentiles come. There are well-known stories about miracles that happened around his grave. In addition, there are many miraculous stories about his staff. His picture and portrait as the face of God's angel hangs in many houses.

Rabbi Vidal Yisrael (1780-1860) one of the greatest Dayanim of Tétouan who sat in the Beit Din together with Rabbi Moshe Halevi, Rabbi Menachem Nahon and Rabbi Moshe Even Tzur (the rabbis of Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Walid).

[1] leaf. 16x21cm. Quality leaf. Good condition. Stains.