Letter from Rebbe Aharon of Chernobyl, to his Son-in-Law Rebbe David Moshe of Chortkov – Blessings for a Complete ...

Letter from Rebbe Aharon of Chernobyl, to his Son-in-Law Rebbe David Moshe of Chortkov – Blessings for a Complete Recovery
Letter written by a scribe, signed by Rebbe Aharon of Chernobyl: "So says Aharon son of the renowned R. Mordechai". [Chernobyl, ca. late 1860s].
Familial greetings letter addressed to his son-in-law Rebbe David Moshe of Chortkov (Chortkiv) and daughter Rebbetzin Faiga, grandchildren R. Menachem [Nachum] Mordechai and his wife Sheva "of holy descent", and "my grandson R. Yisrael". Blessings for a complete recovery for his daughter and their daughter-in-law. The Rebbe requests and entreats them to inform him "explicitly of their health without altering the facts, and may G-d send a complete recovery to the dear daughter and their daughter-in-law immediately, and thereby literally restore my soul…".
Rebbe Aharon Twersky of Chernobyl (1787-1871) was a foremost and elder rebbe in his generation and prominent leader of the Jewish and Chassidic world in the mid-19th century. He was the eldest son of Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl and his ancestors' successor as rebbe of Chernobyl. He received his education from his grandfather Rebbe Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl, the Meor Einayim. Already during his father's lifetime, he occupied a central position in the Chassidic world, and his father wrote of him that he shields the generation by the scope of his holiness. After his father's passing in 1838, the latter's eight sons began serving as rebbes in various cities, and the eldest son R. Aharon acceded to his father's position in Chernobyl. His brothers all treated him with great deference and recognized his supremacy even in private matters. Rebbe Aharon himself was aware of the authority he held and would address the public in sharp and decisive terms. It is noteworthy to quote his wording in a letter he wrote: "I hereby inform them that even if they would live as long as Metushelach, they would not realize nor understand even a thousandth of what I did to assist them during those times, with the help of G-d who affords eternal salvation".
R. Aharon lived to an old age and saw many of his descendants serve as rebbes, as he was accustomed to appoint his grandsons as rebbes already in his lifetime. The most prominent rebbe amongst his descendants was the recipient of this letter – his son-in-law R. David Moshe of Chortkov (1827-1903), whom he greatly revered, as disclosed from the way he addresses him in this letter: "To my honored son-in-law, my close friend, the holy rabbi and renowned pious one, the holy luminary… R. David Moshe, and his wife my dear G-d fearing daughter Faiga…".
His daughter, Rebbetzin Faiga, was the maternal granddaughter of R. Aharon of Tetiyev (Tetiiv), a descendant of the Baal Shem Tov. His grandson R. Menachem Nachum Mordechai, mentioned in this letter, passed away at a young age in 1870, and his widow Rebbetzin Sheva remarried Rebbe Yisrael of Sadigura (Sadhora). His grandson Yisrael, mentioned in the letter, is Rebbe Yisrael of Chortkov (1854-1933), foremost rebbe and leader of Orthodox Jewry in the 1900-1930s.
[1] leaf. 21.5X11.5 cm. Very good condition. Stains and light creases.