Rabbi Chaim Bloch's Archive: Part of the Important Archive Displayed at Museums and in the Hands of Collectors

Rabbi Chaim Bloch's archive. Before us is a significant part of the sensational archive currently housed in prominent research institutes (such as the Leo Baeck Institute in Jerusalem) and in the hands of collectors. The part before us contains [approximately 169] important documents and letters by which we are exposed to more and more fascinating and exciting historic topics.

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim Bloch [1881-1973] was one of the most enigmatic figures of rabbinic literature of the 20th century. He was a scholar of Chassidism and Kabbalah, and and an author who wrote in Hebrew, in English, in Yiddish and in German. Bloch was born in Galicia, where he was rabbinically ordained. He served as a military rabbi during WWI in the Austro-Hungarian army. With the Nazi invasion, Bloch immigrated to the United States, where he passed away. He left behind an archive with a wealth of correspondence with prominent scholars, primarily among German-speaking Jewry. At least three of his books were determined by scholars to be forgeries. The Lubavitcher Rebbe sent Bloch a letter (Iggerot Kodesh, Part 19) in which the Rebbe unequivocally determines that the letters from the Rogochover published in his book Dovev Siftei Yeshenim - are forgeries, and it is impossible that he wrote them. Rabbi Shmuel Weingarten wrote a book called Michtavim Mezuyafim Negged HaTziyonut in 1981, in which he proves that Bloch forged anti-Zionist letters by prominent rabbis in order to strengthen his position. His forgery of the responsum by the Maharsha"m of Brezan is also discussed in the collection before us.

The archive constitutes (the numbering of the files and the items is according to the catalog order of the files in the archive for sale):

1. Group of [approximately 20] letters from Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Friedman - the Admo"r of Sadigura-Tel Aviv.

2. Group of [approximately 10] letters full of content from Rabbi Avraham HaKohen Kish of Tel Aviv.

3. [1] letter from Rabbi Meisels of Jerusalem.

4. Group of [4] letters on the topic of the forgery of the responsum form the Maharam of Berzan.

5. Group of [5] halachic responsa from Rabbi Ovadiah Hadeyah to Rabbi Bloch.

6. Group of [approximately 50] letters from Rabbi Meir Alter of Tel-Aviv, a tremendous Talmudic scholar, expert in all realms of Torah, and supremely talented author.

7. Group of [approximately 14] letters and documents from Dr. Avraham Sharon.

8. [17] letters from Dr. Nathan Michael Gelber to Bloch.

9. Group of [15] letters on the topic of 'Neturei Karta.'

10. Group of [5] letters from Rabbi Avraham Moshe Baba"d, Av Beit Din of Sunderland to Bloch, with respect to his anti-Zionist letters.

11. Group of [approximately 30] letters full of Torah and historic innovations by the gaon Rabbi Hillel Posek.

Refer to the Hebrew website text for a more extensively detailed list.

Approximately 169 letters. Paper, various sizes and conditions. Biographic material is included for insight into the topics and the period.