A Remarkable Heartfelt Letter from Rav Soloveitchik, Boston 1969

A Remarkable Heartfelt Letter from Rav Soloveitchik, Boston 1969

“I am not good at verbalizing silent emotions… However I can assure you that I am deeply moved by your friendship… It is good to know that somebody somewhere thinks of you and does care”. 

A remarkable, heartfelt letter entirely handwritten and signed by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rosh Yeshiva of RIETS. In this letter, Rav Soloveitchik expresses his sincere thanks to the Ketzett family of Brookline, Mass., for their friendship and assistance. Quite remarkable is the sheer humility and overflowing warmth which emanates from the letter, which gives us a small glimpse into the great persona of Rav Soloveitchik. Rarely are we privy to personal letters by the Rav of this nature, rendering this one especially unique.

Written on Erev Yom Kippur of 1969, while the Rav was still vacationing in Boston. At the end of the letter is a heartfelt blessing for a G’mar Chasima Tova. With the Rav’s autograph, signed in English. 

Written entirely in the Rav’s hand, in English, on official stationery. Dated Sunday, Erev Yom Kippur 5730 (1969). Includes original envelope.  

R. Yosef Ber Soloveitchik (1903-1993), commonly known as “The Rav”, was a major American Orthodox rabbi, Talmudist, and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a scion of the Lithuanian Jewish Soloveitchik rabbinic dynasty. As a rosh yeshiva of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University in New York City, The Rav ordained close to 2,000 rabbis over the course of almost half a century. He is regarded as a seminal figure by Modern Orthodox Judaism and served as a guide and role-model for tens of thousands of Jews, both as a Talmudic scholar and as a religious leader.