Letter by the First Vizhnitz Rebbe, Author of Tzemach Tzaddik

Long letter (2 pages) by Rebbe Menachem Mendel Hager. Vizhnitz, [1878].
Written by a scribe, with the signature of the rebbe: "Menachem Mendel son of the Tsaddik". Letter of instructions regarding the management of the estate of one of the members of Kollel Vizhnitz who died in Safed. Sent to Safed to "My friends the outstanding Chassidic rabbis R. Chanoch… R. Moshe Charag and R. Ya'akov… [managers] of our kollel in the holy city of Safed".
The first Vizhnitz Rebbe, R. Menachem Mendel Hager, author of Tzemach Tsaddik (1830-Tishrei 1884), son of R. Chaim of Kosiv and son-in-law of R. Yisrael of Ruzhyn. In his father's lifetime, he was appointed as Rabbi of Vizhnitz near Kosiv, and in 1854, after the death of his father, author of Torat Chayim, he began serving as Rebbe in the city of Vizhnitz whereas his elder brother R. Ya'akov Shimshon was appointed Rebbe of Kosiv, and their third brother move to Rădăuţi. Within a short while, R. Mendel was celebrated as the most prominent rabbi among the three brothers and thousands of Chassidim swarmed from near and far to his Beit Midrash in Vizhnitz. He was famous as a wonder-worker and beloved by all. Known for his fiery prayers and generous distribution of charity (in his lifetime, he is said to have distributed thousands of silver coins to the poor). He was highly esteemed by the greatest tsaddikim of his generation, R. Zvi Hirsh of Lesko, R. Shmuel Shmelke of Selish, his brother-in-law R. Mordechai Shraga of Husyatyn, etc. R. Chaim of Sanz fervently said about him, that "R. Mendeli sacrifices his soul to G-d every moment…".
R. Menachem Mendel heavily influenced the Maramureş and Bukovina region and all public matters in his country were decided according to his opinion. Due to various problems in the collection and distribution of Eretz Israel funds in the Kosiv Kollel, R. Mendeli left and
founded the Vizhnitz Kollel. He was very active in collecting funds for the needy population of Safed and Tiberias and appointed his trusted friend who was a noted Chassidic leader in Safed, to head the fund. Eventually, the Viznitz Kollel became the central kollel for immigrants from Bukovina and from Eastern Galicia, also supervising the Lelov Kollel and the Kosiv Kollel. The Rebbe's involvement in managing the matters of the Safed community, down to the smallest detail is apparent in this letter.
Leaf, 21 cm. written on both sides. Good-fair condition. Wear and folding creases. Ink erosion to one letter in the signature. Sticker remnants on the first page of the letter.