Letter from Rabbi Tevele of Lissa – To the Lissa Community Leaders – Horchov, 1775

Letter from Rabbi Tevele of Lissa – To the Lissa Community Leaders – Horchov, 1775
Lengthy, interesting letter from the renowned Torah scholar R. David Tevele, Rabbi of Lissa (Leszno), addressed to the Lissa community leaders prior to his arrival to serve as rabbi of the city. Horchov (Horokhiv; Galicia), Rosh Chodesh Av eve, 1775.
This letter was written at the end of his tenure as rabbi of Horchov, and in his signature, he already refers to himself as rabbi of Lissa: "David Tevele of Brody, Rabbi of Lissa". R. David Tevele writes of his love for Lissa (then a city abounding with Torah scholars), and about the extensive amount of money he disbursed in his preparations for moving from Horchov to Lissa (which is in a different country), writing that it was all worthwhile for the merit of joining the Lissa community. He refers to his wife's illness, and to the difficulties involved in the move, noting that he very much hopes to reach Lissa in time for the date mentioned in his rabbinic appointment.
R. David Tevele, Rabbi of Lissa (d. Tevet 1792), a leading Torah scholar in the times of the Noda BiYehuda, was the son of R. Natan Notte, Rabbi of Brody, and one of the ten Brody scholars involved in the Cleves divorce polemic. He served as rabbi of Zaslov (Iziaslav) and Horchov, and in ca. 1774 was appointed rabbi of the great city of Lissa. This letter however, written in the summer of 1775, explicitly states that he had not yet actually arrived in Lissa. Another important dayan served in his Beit Din in Lissa, also named David Tevele, and their signatures sometimes appear together on one court ruling, with one signing as "David Tevele son of R. M. of Gritz", and the other (the rabbi of the city) signing "David Tevele of Brod".
All the leading Torah scholars of the generation accepted his authority, and from all corners of the country, people came to be judged before him and hear his Torah view. R. David Tevele issued approbations to many books, and letters from him and halachic rulings in his name are quoted in various responsa books. He exchanged halachic correspondence with the leading Torah scholars of his generation, especially with the Noda BiYehuda, R. Meshulam Igra, R. Chaim Kohen of Lvov, R. Meir Posner of Schottland author of Beit Meir, R. Meir Weill of Berlin and R. Akiva Eiger (who was his cherished disciple in Lissa in his youth). One of his famous disciples is R. Baruch Fränkel, author of Baruch Taam.
He was reputed for the battles he waged against the Haskalah movement, and became famous for his opposition of the 'enlightened' Naftali Herz Wessely and his books (correspondence between him and the Haflaa on this matter was recently published, see Beit Aharon VeYisrael, 46, pp. 147-156, and 44, pp. 114-131; 45, pp. 127-133).
He endeavored to quieten the polemic against the Chassidic movement, his words carrying weight amongst the leaders of his generation. Historic literature of Polish Chassidism includes two stories relating to this: Shem HaGedolim HaChadash (Maarechet Gedolim, letter P, entry R. Pinchas author of Haflaa), records that R. Tzvi Hirsh HaLevi, author of Likutei Tzvi, possessed a letter written by the Haflaa to R. David Tevele of Lissa, requesting the latter speak to R. Yosef of Posnan, to ask his father-in-law, the Noda BiYehuda, rabbi of Prague, not to upset the holy R. Michel of Zlotchov, who's intents are solely the sake of Heaven, testified R. Shmelke of Nikolsburg, therefore he shouldn’t be disrupted from his worship.
A different source recounts that when Noda BiYehuda, opposing the book Toldot Yaakov Yosef, wished to issue a ban commanding the book to be burnt, R. Shmelke and his brother the Haflaa wrote to R. Tevele of Lissa requesting he quieten the polemic, and R. Tevele wrote a letter to the Noda BiYehuda asking him not to quarrel with disciples of the Baal Shem Tov and of the Maggid of Mezeritch, whose ways differ from ours, yet they intend for the sake of Heaven. The Noda BiYehuda obeyed him and withdrew (Shem HaTov, Petrikev [Piotrków Trybunalski] 1905, p. 94, section 85, quoting the introduction to Nefesh David).
In his book Nefesh David on the Torah, printed in Premisla (Przemysl) in 1878, R. David Tevele quotes a thought in the name of the Maggid of Mezeritch (Nefesh David, Parashat Vayeira, p. 6a).
[1] double leaf, approx. 22.5 cm. Written by a scribe and signed by R. David Tevele. Good-fair condition. Damage to the center of the text, repaired with adhesive tape. Stains and creases. Folding marks. On the verso of the leaf: Address and wax seal remnants.