Letter by the Ahavat Yisrael of Vizhnitz – Regarding Expelling Members from the Vizhnitz Kollel in Tiberias – ...

Letter by the Ahavat Yisrael of Vizhnitz – Regarding Expelling Members from the Vizhnitz Kollel in Tiberias – Tishrei 1912
Letter signed by the Vizhnitz Rebbe R. Yisrael Hager, author of Ahavat Yisrael. [Vizhnitz], Tishrei 1912.
Sent to Tiberias to the "G-d fearing Chassidim, named Agudat Machzikei HaDat in the holy city of Tiberias". The subject of the letter is the Rebbe's approval of their activities to reinforce Torah observance and to distance people who do not tread the straight path from membership in Kollel Vizhnitz.
"…I hereby inform them that I am willing to uphold their suggestion, not to provide regular support to those who 'breach fences'. However, if only I had proof of this, because in our times, correspondence from Eretz Israel exists with contradicting testimonies. But since you write that you have a way to inform exactly who perform these actions of Zimri [evil], please do so and let me know as soon as possible and I will instruct the appointees of our kollel to supervise the members of our kollel that they do not become corrupted and he who does not heed will not receive even one coin…Yisrael, son of R.B. [Baruch]".
R. Yisrael Hager (1860-1936. Encyclopedia Galicia Vol. 2, pp. 49-53; Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, Vol. 2, pp. 538-541). Prominent Chassidic leader, son of R. Baruch Hager of Vizhnitz (Vyzhnytsia) and Kosiv. Vizhnitz Rebbe from 1893. Uprooted during WWI, he eventually established his court in the city of Oradea (Grosswardein). During his tenure, Vizhnitz became the largest Chassidic court in Hungary, Máramaros and Galicia. The rebbe dedicated his life to establishing yeshivot and Torah education and to drawing Jewish youth to Torah study and fear of G-d. Known for his fervent, soulful prayers. Very active in charitable undertakings, he directed the Eretz Israel charity fund. Extremely fond of Eretz Israeli settlers, he would greatly honor anyone traveling to Eretz Israel and would walk him to the door. Called after his book Ahavat Yisrael.
His holy sons officiated as rebbes and rabbis in Romania and in Eretz Israel and continued his holy work of disseminating Torah and Chassidism: R. Menachem Mendel of Vishova; R. Chaim Meir of Vizhnitz, author of Imrei Chaim who succeeded his father as rebbe in his court in Oradea and after the Holocaust established his Beit Midrash in Bnei Brak; R. Eliezer, author of Damesek Eliezer; R. Baruch of Seret and Haifa, author of Mekor Baruch.
[1] leaf. 23 cm. Good condition. Folding marks on text.