Historic Letter from the Chazon Ish about the International Date Line, for the Exiled She'erit HaPleitah in Japan

Historic Letter from the Chazon Ish about the International Date Line, for the Exiled She'erit HaPleitah in Japan

Lengthy Torah letter, typewritten, with the addition of over [70] words handwritten by the Chazon Ish. In his letter, the Chazon Ish unfolds his halachic method in the topic of the international date line, by which he determines his halachic ruling (opposing the other halachic decisors) as to when Yom Kippur occurs in Japan. Extremely important historic letter.

As is known, the Mir yeshivah was exiled to Kobe, Japan, during the Holocaust years. They sent their inquiry from there, asking when Yom Kippur occurs in Japan (which is on the other side of the Date Line). Most adjudicators in the Land of Israel reasoned that they should fast on Wednesday, and in contrast, the Chazon Ish ruled that Wednesday is the eve of Yom Kippur and they should fast on Thursday. The Chazon Ish immediately sent his famous telegram: "Eat on Wednesday, fast on Thursday and do not be concerned about anything." In a telegram, only a few words could be used. After it, as a continuation of the telegram, the Chazon Ish wrote this letter, in which he explains the principles of his opinion, and what brought him to his decision that was opposite that of the other poskim.

The letter was written by the Chazon Ish in two copies, the first copy was sent to the people of the yeshivah in Japan, and the second copy (this one), was sent to the gaon Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky, who was appointed by rabbinic leaders of Jerusalem to gather all the material that deals with the issue. In this copy, the Chazon Ish adds many supplements in his hand, beyond what is written in the copy he sent to Japan. The Chazon Ish's letter was sent with his nephew, the gaon Rabbi Chaim Shaul Greineman, who added in the margins of the letter: "I was ordered to get this copy into his honor's hands. Chaim Shaul Greineman, son of Rabbi Shmuel, shlit"a."

Specifications: [1] leaf paper, approximately 21x26 cm. Typewritten, with the addition of over [70] words handwritten by the Chazon Ish. Including the original envelope. (Refer to Winner's web site for an expanded discussion.)

Very fine condition: Fold marks.

There are two letters included from Rabbi Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky to the Chazon Ish on the topic of the International Date Line. The first letter was written before that of the Chazon Ish, and the second as a response to the Chazon Ish's letter: [5] typewritten leaves filled with glosses handwritten by the gaon Rabbi Ye chiel Michel Tukachinsky.

Background: This was one of the stormiest episodes in the Torah world during the Second World War. It was one of the rare occasions during which the Chazon Ish left his quiet, modest habits and publicly expressed a sharp, independent opinion as a trustworthy individual posek - that contradicted the opinion of many other rabbis. The controversy surrounded the question of when Shabbat and Yom Kippur should be observed in Japan.

At the height of the Second World War, a few hundred Lithuanian and Polish yeshivah students miraculously escaped the Nazi beast and arrived on the safe shores of Kobe, Japan. This generated the relevant question of when they should observe Shabbat, since the day in Japan starts eighteen hours after it starts in the Land of Israel (Kobe is east of Jerusalem; more than 100-135 degrees east of Greenwich). To be stringent, they could observe two days of Shabbat and the holidays, but, on Yom Kippur, they couldn't fast for two days straight - since this would entail endangering their life to some extent. The question was, which day was appropriate.

Many Torah scholars debated this question, starting with Rabbeinu Zeraycha HaLevi who spoke at length about this question, through the Rabbi of Harbin, Rabbi Aharon Moshe Kisilov, who arrived in China together with other refugees during the First World War. They observed Shabbat like it was kept in the Land of Israel. However, now, with the Second World War refugees, the question cropped up again and generated tremendous confusion amongst the rabbis and yeshivah students in Japan.

The halachic discussion regarding the International Date Line is very extensive and much has been written about it. (Refer to: Encyclopedia Talmudit, in the supplement to the entry "Yom"). We will just mention a few points regarding the polemic between the rabbis in Palestine.

On the 12th of September, 1941 - Friday, 20th of Elul 1941, a telegraph was received in Jerusalem. It was addressed to "Rabbis Mishkowski, Alter, Herzog, Soloveitchik, Finkel, Meltzer of Beit Orenstein, Jerusalem with an urgent question from 350 Jews begging: Help! Answer immediately regarding which day we shall fast for Yom Kippur." It was signed, "Agudat Rabbanim U'Baalei Batim MiKobe."

Rabbi Herzog convened a meeting of rabbis, whose identities are still not 100% certain today. They took a vote and sent a telegraph with their decision to Kobe on the 7th of Tishrei, 1942. It stated "The meeting of the rabbis have decided that the fast of Yom Kippur is on Wednesday, according to the calculation customary in Japan."

At the same time, the Chazon Ish sent a short telegram with an unequivocal message: "Eat on Wednesday and fast for Yom Kippur on Thursday, and don't be concerned about anything."

Unlike his usual habit, the Chazon Ish strongly defended his opinion and even sent letters to Jerusalem debating with Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer and Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Toledano to prove that his opinion was correct. The correspondence is recorded in a special booklet Shemonah Esrei Sha'ot published in 1943.

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