Bidspirit auction | HERZOG, YITZCHAK (ISAAC) HALEVI. (Chief

HERZOG, YITZCHAK (ISAAC) HALEVI. (Chief Rabbi of Israel, 1888-1959). Autograph Letter Signed, written in Hebrew on letterhead to Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel (1880-1953). Discusses the declining authority of the Beth Din. In a lengthy paragraph R. Herzog quotes himself from a work not as yet published, noting the apparent strength of the Islamic religious courts, in contrast to which, Jews seem to be trending towards an “Israeli” identity rather than affirming their “Jewish” identity. R. Herzog quotes Maimonides in that problems must be considered in great detail again and again, and never in haste. Two pages. Jerusalem, 21st Av, 1941. For more in relation to this letter, see Gedarim BeDin HaMalchut, in: HaTorah VehaMedina 7-8, (1946-47). Born in Lomza, Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog (1888-1959) moved as child with his family to England, settling in Leeds. After receiving an extensive Talmud education from his father, Rabbi Yoel Leib Herzog, he attended the Sorbonne in Paris and the University of London, where he received a doctorate. His topic of study was the chemistry and identity of the marine creature responsible for producing the tekhelet dye required by the Torah for tzitzit. In 1919 R. Herzog was appointed Chief Rabbi of Ireland. After the death of Rav Kook in 1935, R. Herzog was appointed Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Eretz Israel, a position he held until his death. Acclaimed for his deep learning - perhaps uniquely so among Gedolei Yisrael - R. Herzog published a 2-volume English-language study on Halacha entitled “The Main Institutions of Jewish Law.” He stood at the helm of world Jewry both during the Holocaust and through the struggles leading up to and following the establishment of the State of Israel. Chief Rabbi Herzog’s grandson (and namesake) is the current President of the State of Israel.