Letter of New Year Blessings from the First Rebbe of Biala, Rabbi Yitzchak Ya'akov Author of the Divrei Binah, 1886

Letter of New Year Blessings from the First Rebbe of Biala, Rabbi Yitzchak Ya'akov Author of the Divrei Binah, 1886
Letter signed by the Rebbe "Yitzchak Ya'akov son of R' Natan David". Biala, Poland, 1886.
Letter of New Year blessings.
The first Biala Rebbe – Rebbe Yitzchak Ya'akov Rabinowitz (1846-1905), a leading Polish rebbe. Son of Rebbe Natan David of Szydłowiec, grandson of "the Holy Jew", Rabbi Yitzchak Ya'akov of Przysucha. In his youth, he was already recognized for his prodigious ability and his great soul [his father attested that as a child he merited a revelation of Eliyahu and before his bar-mitzvah, Rebbe Yechezkel of Kuzmir called him "My Teacher" and Rebbe Elazar of Dzikhev gave him a "pitka" to read. When visiting the author of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz with his father, the rebbe stood before the child and honored him]. In 1873, he succeeded his father-in-law Rebbe Yehoshua of Ostrów-Leczna who led thousands of Chassidim. Following the orders of Rebbe Ya'akov Aryeh of Radzymin, he accepted the yoke of leadership and many Chassidim flocked to his court which later relocated to Biala.
Rabbi Rabinowitz was revered and accepted by all Polish Chassidic leaders. Rebbe Yechiel Meir of Gostynin said that he never believed that after the Kotzker Rebbe, there would be such a talented, wise man. The Rabbi of Gostynin was also used to sending him a letter every Erev Rosh Hashana with the request that he mention him "in his lucid prayers" during the upcoming holy days. Rebbe Chaim Yisrael of Puławy said about him that “A wise person is preferable to a prophet”. Rebbe Ya’akov Aryeh of Radzymin who was among the elder rebbes of his times, once honored him with speaking words of Torah at his table. Although he was young at the time he had no choice and spoke as requested. When he finished speaking, the rebbe responded: “True! True! True!”. His words of Torah were printed in the series of books: Divrei Bina and Yishrei Lev.
He died in the middle of the evening prayer and his pure soul left him when he reached the words “And all will accept the yoke of your kingship” of the Aleinu prayer.
All his sons and grandsons became renowned rebbes in Poland who drew large groups of followers. They are: his son Rebbe Yerachmiel Zvi of Siedlce (predecessor of the Biala rebbes’ dynasty in our times), his son Rebbe Natan David of Parczew (father of the Mukacheve-Petach Tikva Rebbe), his son Rebbe Meir Shlomo Yehuda of Mezritch, his son Rebbe Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Lublin and his son-in-law Rebbe Yosef Zvi Kalish of Skierniewice, the first Rabbi of Bnei Brak.
[1] leaf, 20 cm. Scribal writing with the Rebbe’s signature. Brittle paper. Good condition, filing holes and minor wear to paper folds.