A rare and historic manuscript, property of the library of Agudas Chasidei Chabad in Brooklyn, NY, has been returned to its rightful home after several months of intense negotiation.
This most recent episode is another chapter of Chabad’s long-running legal claims against Russia to recover the “Schneerson collection” archive and library, seized by the Nazis and held illegally by Russia.
In February 2023, the manuscript “Meshivas Nefesh,” was put up for sale at a public auction in Jerusalem, Israel. The manuscript was originally authored by the noted kabbalist Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach in the seventeenth century and has since then never been published.
The present copy was transcribed in 1867 and contains 168 handwritten pages. Additionally, the manuscript has a fascinating letter appended to it, penned by Rabbi Yaakov Meir ben Shlomo Zalman Grodenski, Rabbi in Minsk, which reveals a little-known effort to publish the manuscript for the masses.
Most significant is the label prominently displayed on the endpaper of the present copy reading “Otzar Sifrei Kodesh” — collection of holy books, collected by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Immediately upon learning about the proposed auction, Chabad filed an emergency motion for issuance of a letter of request for international judicial assistance in the United States court. That same day, US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth issued an order to launch an expedited investigation through the Israeli judicial authorities of the proposed public auction scheduled to take place shortly thereafter.
“Chabad has brought to this Court’s attention the apparent intention of the Witness [the auction house], to auction a manuscript that described by the auction house as having been owned by the Sixth Chabad Rebbe, and further evidence supports the conclusion that the manuscript was part of the Library at the time it was unlawfully confiscated by the Bolshevick government,” wrote US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth in his four page letter.
“This Court requests that the Appropriate Judicial Authority obtain the information so as to determine how, by whom, and under what circumstances the manuscript that previously had been part of the Chabad library and in Russia’s possession came to be placed for auction in Jerusalem.”
The auction house immediately removed the manuscript from the upcoming auction, and further negotiations by the Israeli judicial authorities and Chabad ensued.
After a circuitous turn of events, the manuscript was transferred to Chabad-Lubavitch hands in Israel and will soon be returned to the Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad in Brooklyn, New York, after more than a century of separation.
The providential turn of events leading to the return of this precious manuscript was only made possible due to the landmark court decision in the case of Agudas Chassidei Chabad of United States v. Russian Federation, No. 05-cv-1548.
In accordance with the sharp words of the Rebbe regarding those who illegitimately possess articles belonging to the Chabad library, we are confident that these events will serve to inspire anyone who may have property of the Chabad library in his possession, to take note of the legal and spiritual ramifications.
Similarly, anyone with information regarding other items from the Chabad library that has been held by Russia, is urged to contact Chabad or their attorneys immediately.
The Rebbe explained that the the books and manuscripts belonging to the Chabad library contain the neshamos of the Rabbeim, and therefore when such a book is held captive, the neshamah is held captive, and retrieving these books is thus a case of “pidyon shevuyim.”
This recent incident only highlights the Russian Federation’s tremendous apathy toward the “Schneerson collection,” and thus the urgency with which all of the books must be returned expeditiously.
Letter to TAJ Art dated February 23, 2023
Exhibit 1 Letter Rogatory Signed February 22 2023
Request for International Judicial Assistance
RELATED ARTICLES:
+ Ed Royce Highlights Chabad’s Win
+ Washington Cheers Chabad’s Win
+ A Victory in the Books
+ US Court Protects Chabad Book
There was an article in the JP years ago I think after gimmel Tammuz that a Tel Aviv lawyer who deals with seforim claims that after the confiscation of the RASHAB’s library certain people who were sympathetic to Trotsky sold about 4000 volumes to private collectors to support him in exile when Trotsky fled from Stalin. This lawyer claimed the present library was missing and would not be found in Russia in the library. His bewilderment was since each of the RASHAB’s seforim has a personal stemple book mark why hasn’t any seforim resurfaced from the collectors. This one did… Read more »
What is the present status of the Schneersohn Library collection?
What is happening with the library set up by Putin and Lazar to house the collection?