Letter of Approbation for a Preacher

Lo, here is seed [zera‘] for you (Genesis 47:23), blessed one of the Lord [berakh], his honor the eminent rabbi and great preacher and reprover, in honor of heaven, our teacher and rabbi, Berakh son of the late R. Elyakum Getzel of blessed memory of Kraków, the son-in-law of the aforementioned great rabbi, the famous preacher, author of the first and second works of Zera‘ berakh [Blessed Seed; R. Berekhya ben R. Isaac Eizik Shapira]. The rabbi, our master and teacher Berakh, was formerly the head of the religious court in the holy community of Klimontów, and now he dwells in the tent of Torah here in the holy community of Zablotov, where he is a preacher and sermonizer and the head of the court in this holy community.

I have had occasion to be here in the aforementioned holy community of Zablotov several times, and every time people great and small praised the rabbi, as he constantly promulgates the Torah and his mouth never ceases from studying. The light of his Torah shines by night and day, and he speaks well for his people in the public forum every single Sabbath. He displays his sharpness of mind and erudition, and he instructs the people on how to conduct themselves, to turn the multitude away from iniquity. What is more, all of the judgments he issues are upright and correct, and his whole intention is for the sake of heaven, that everyone should come to his place in security [see Exodus 18:23], not for the enjoyment of riches, for he has always hated wealth, and he never took a penny as a salary for serving as a judge, which is called psak gelt [Yiddish: fee for judgment]. Rather, he passes every judgment for free and injustice is not found on his lips (Malachi 2:6). Is there anyone like him in all our country, in whom the spirit of God dwells? [see Genesis 41:38]. I therefore declare: Whoever guards the fig tree shall eat its fruit (Proverbs 27:18), and I hereby grant the aforementioned rabbi the power and strength to be a preacher and sermonizer in all the four lands of Poland that are subject to our authority. He may erect fences and repair breaches of the generation in every single congregation. Likewise, he has the authority to preach without having to ask any rabbi or leader, and none may protest or hinder him. Far be it from any man to utter a word against him in any matter great or small. He should be esteemed and honored in every manner, as is proper and correct for an elderly Torah scholar; may there be many like him among the Jews. He should be helped to finish his writings, which he has in his bundle; everything is written in the manuscript that he has composed, several books in his holy wisdom. For I have seen in his possession approbations from all the geonim in these lands, rabbis from the states of Ashkenaz [Germany] and Poland and Mehren [Moravia], who attest and testify about him that all his words are words of the living God, and the halakhah is as he says it in every case. I have thereby also given authority and power to the words of the aforementioned geonim.

These are the words of the knight of the shepherds, the expert physician for the masses, the insignificant Abraham Isaac Ḥazak, physician and member of the Council of Four Lands, may the Rock preserve it.