Segulah! A Rare Handwritten Letter by R. Rephael Meldola, Author of Chupas Chasanim and Rabbi of The Sephardic ...

Segulah! A Rare Handwritten Letter by R. Rephael Meldola, Author of Chupas Chasanim and Rabbi of The Sephardic Community of Great Britain.

A rare letter written entirely in the hand of R. Rephael Meldola, author of Chupas Chasanim. Written to R. Michael Yona of Torino, a prominent Torah leader in 18th century Italy and disciple of the Chida in his later years. 

R. Rephael Meldola (1754-1828) was a renowned Rabbi originally from Livorno who served as Rabbi of The Sephardic Community of Great Britain. He received Semicha in 1796 from R. Chaim Yosef David Azulai - The Chida. In 1805, he was elected Chacham of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of Great Britain. He arrived there following a long journey from Livorno on the eve of Rosh Hashana. In his first days, he immediately and energetically embarked on a number of goals. Among them was improved collaboration and cooperation between Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, and he persuaded the two communities to set up a joint board for Shechita (ritual slaughtering). Another area he soon took up was to counteract the activities of missionaries and the reform movement.

R. Rafael is most famously known for his work “Chupas Chasanim”, which deals with laws of marriage and Mikveh. He also composed a special Tefillah for those looking for a Shidduch.  In recent years, miraculous stories have been related by those who have visited his gravesite in London. Many seeking a Shidduch for several years merited finding their match soon after praying at his gravesite.

Click here for several miraculous stories which were told in recent years. 

Letters from the Chupas Chasanim are exceptionally rare. 

[1] handwritten leaf, in very good condition. Small tear and remnant of original wax seal on verso, not affecting text. Fold marks. Approx. 23x18cm. 

Provenance: The A.L. Shane Collection, Christie’s New York, June 24 1998.