Date and Place: 23 Marcheshvan 5669, Yafo
Recipient: Rav Chaim Berlin (son of the Netziv, Rav Kook’s rosh yeshiva in Volozhin), former Chief Rabbi of Moscow, and, at the time, assistant to Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rav Shmuel Salant.
Body: There are some farmers who desire with all their hearts to desist from working the land during the Shemitta year, without making any use of the leniency of uprooting the sanctity of the Land as is commonly practiced. However, they will be able to do this only if they will be confident that they will receive help with their livelihood.
There are presently two people in Kostina (now, Be’er Tuvia in the south of Israel), who will need, in order to desist from agricultural work, 120 Napoleon gold coins. If they will be confident about receiving this amount, they will fulfill the [rules of the] Shabbat of the Land to the fullest degree, the way the Torah spells it out. Therefore, I want to make you, esteemed rabbi, aware, so that maybe you can find a financial source, together with other helpers, for this work for the sake of Heaven.
I do not need to write at length about the importance of this matter, certainly not to someone like you (Rav Berlin did not accept the Heter Mechira.) I would like to receive a clear response shortly, preferably by telegram, because the time to work the land has come, and they need to know their situation.
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