Autograph Letter Signed, written in Hebrew to Rabbi Eliyahu Guttmacher (1795-1874).

BERLIN, MEIR OF MOHILEV

25th Tishrei

(Mohilev)

1845

Concerning changes enacted in Sabbath prayers by the Reform movement of Breslau.

The writer (d. 1869) was an uncle and the primary teacher of R. Naphtali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin of Volozhin (the Netziv). This letter relates to the controversial liturgical practices enacted by the Reform movement in Breslau, who removed from the Musaf prayers the recitation of portions relating to Temple offerings. Such actions were widely denounced by the Dayan of Breslau, R. Joseph Leib Feder and Chief Rabbi R. Gedaliah Tiktin. They in turn sought R. Meir Berlin for his support. Hence the present letter: “Due to the current emergency” the need to correspond on Chol Hamoed is required” and so R. Berlin here pens a detailed halachic response to the situation. He also requests of his correspondent, R. Guttmacher - one of the outstanding disciples of R. Akiva Eger - that he study the matter and join in supporting against Reformist actions.