A lengthy letter from the renowned gaon, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Ullman, Av Beit Din of Mako and author of Yeriot Shlomo, regarding a proposed match for his son. Sent to R. Moshe Yosef Friedman, a Sofer in Erlau. The letter also mentions the wealthy philanthropist R’ Naftali Schwartz.

Mako, 1863

23 lines in his own holy handwriting, without a signature.

"…Therefore, I write today to request that Your Honor forgive me and speak with the aforementioned benefactor about everything openly and clearly. First and foremost, that he set a place and time to meet. see & be seen, with God’s help. I know full well that my son, may he live, will find favor in the eyes of the benefactor R”s and in the eyes of all who see him. For besides being a sharp and outstanding Torah scholar, he is also greatly accomplished in other matters: he is fluent in three languages—Hebrew, German, and Hungarian—engraved upon his heart and spoken fluently. He writes beautifully, in a refined and elegant style. Additionally, he possesses wisdom in worldly matters, has a noble soul, a refined character, and a beautiful appearance, blessed be God."

The famous Holy Gaon Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Ullman (1792-1863) was one of the great Rabbanim and spiritual mentors in Hungary whose talmidim were great Rabbanim and morei hora’ah of the next generation i. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman was born in Ansbach to Rabbi Shalom Charif, author of Divrei Rash, and married the daughter of Rabbi Simcha Bunim Eiger, Av Beis Din of Mattersdorf and brother of Rabbi Akiva Eiger. In 1826, he was appointed Av Beis Din of Mako where he served as Rav for close to 40 years until his passing in 1863. He was a prolific author whose written legacy includes Sifrei Yerios Shlomo on Yoreh Deah, Shu”t, Sugyos and Drashos.

Contemporary Rabbanim, among them Mahari Assad and the Divrei Chaim, lauded his wisdom and writings, and described him with awe-inspiring accolades. Mahari Assad portrayed him as “the light and sanctity of Yisrael” and “Glory of the generation, wondrous among the Sanhedrin”; and the Divrei Chaim wrote that “since the day the Noda B’Yehuda appeared, there has not been a work like this”. It is said that the Divrei Chaim would frequently quote from the sefer Yerios Shlomo. He is also quoted as exclaiming ”Hungary doesn’t know what asset they have”.

33.5 X 21 Cm.


Creases, small marginal tears.

Share this lot:

Lot #104

Letter from the Gaon Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Ullman, Av Beit Din of Mako regarding a Shidduch for his son. 1863.

Start price: $450

Sales Tax: On the lot's price and buyer's premium

Offcanvas right