Letter by the Gaon Rabbi David Budnik

Letter by the Gaon Rabbi David Budnik

Letter in the handwriting and signature of the righteous genius Rabbi David Budnik Head of the Beit Yosef Yeshiva [Novardok], 1930.

"With you forgiveness for my reply until here surely will condemn me to a right, the good HaShem will condemn you to right, I didn't do it on Bad intent. I would very much like to be at your wedding and rejoice together ...". In his letter, the genius bless his student on the occasion of his marriage, and apologizes for not being able to attend his wedding, he mention the genius Rabbi Sokolowski's, and other matters. Handwritten letters and the signature of Rabbi David Budnik are extremely rare.

The righteous genius Rabbi David Budnik, was born in Knyssyn - Polish Lithuania in [1893]. As a young man, he studied Torah at the "Chafetz Chaim" yeshiva in Radin and studied with the head of the yeshiva, his famous great-uncle Rabbi Moshe Landinsky. Upon his arrival at the Novodhrodok Yeshiva, the "grandfather", Rabbi Yosef Yosel Horowitz, recognized his talents and soon became one of his students. Rabbi David became known as a "poet", "a spirit holder", "a speaker with power and influence". His conversations were very influential to the students, and sounded breathtaking. Many of his young disciples devoted themselves to his teachings and over time became great Rabbis. At the Novhardock Yeshiva, the guys used to get lonely in the woods in order to delve into moral thoughts and to buy the degree of Confidence. Under this influence, many songs were composed, melodies were composed, usually of a melancholy and anguished nature. It was Rabbi David Bundick who composed them for the younger Yeshiva disciples.

During World War I, the Yeshiva moved from Novardok to Gumel in Russia, where he was sent with a group of guys to establish a yeshiva in Nizny-Novogord. In 1922, following religious orders and persecution, he devotedly crossed the border to Poland with groups of yeshiva students, and established a central yeshiva in Warsaw, where he taught Torah lessons and moral talks. Later he returned to Novrudodok and re-established the yeshiva in the former residence. On his initiative, dozens of guys from Poland moved to Dvinsk, Latvia, to set up a yeshiva there, followed by a few more yeshivot in the country. These were the heyday of the Beit Yosef Yeshivas in Latvia with 280 students ages 13 to 28 in early 1939. The genius Rabbi David Budnik, who ran the Beit Yosef Yeshiva Center in Dvinsk, embraced extensive plans to strengthen Torah in Latvia, but sadly the destruction of European Jewry didn't miss him. With the conquest of Latvia by the Nazis, Rabbi David perished with all members of the yeshiva in Tamuz, 1941.

Some of his articles have been published in the "Or HaMusar" and "Musar Life", as well as known manuscripts of his innovations in Torah that did not come in print. 

[See also: Fire Guilds, Novardok Yeshivas, Rabbis Who Perished in the Holocaust, Latvia Jewry, p. 373 and later].

[2] p. (Written on both sides) on an official letter from Rabbi David Budnik. 28x22 cm. Folding marks. Tears on edges, good condition.