Printed Leaf – Regulations of the Safah Berurah Society – Jerusalem, 1889 – Variant Mentioning Rabbi Shmuel Salant ...

Printed Leaf – Regulations of the Safah Berurah Society – Jerusalem, 1889 – Variant Mentioning Rabbi Shmuel Salant – Approbations of the Chief Rabbis Rabbi Yaakov Meir, Rabbi Refael Meir Panigel and Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elyashar

Regulations of the Safah Berurah society – a society for the propagation of the Hebrew language, active in Jerusalem in the late 19th century. [Jerusalem, 1889].
Leaf printed on both sides. One side features nine clauses defining the character and purpose of the Safah Berurah society, as well as the means to attain their goals. The verso features the printed signatures of the four founders: R. Yaakov Meir (later Rishon LeTzion), Eliezer ben Yehuda (editor of the HaTzvi newspaper, "reviver" of the Hebrew language), R. Chaim Hirschensohn (educator and proponent of Religious Zionism), and Chaim Calmi (educator, emissary and member of the Vaad HaEdah HaSefardit in Jerusalem).
The founders' signatures are followed by approbations by rabbis and leaders of the Old Yishuv in Jerusalem: Yitzchak d'Arbela, president of the society (director of the Rothschild hospital in Jerusalem); R. Refael Meir Panigel, Rishon LeTzion; R. Yaakov Shaul Elyashar, rabbi of the Sephardi community (later Rishon LeTzion); the printer R. Nissan Bak (son of the printer R. Yisrael Bak), Efraim Kohen (director of the Lemel school).
Two variants of this leaf exist. The present copy features, after the regulations, the assumed approval of R. Shmuel Salant to the founding of the society: "R. Shmuel Salant is presently in Hebron, and we are assured that he would not oppose this noble idea, and would even rejoice with it". In other copies, this sentence was omitted.
Wishing their idea to receive widespread acceptance, the society's founders attempted to get the backing of the leaders of both the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities. Since the support of the Sephardi rabbis was contingent upon the approval, or at least lack of opposition, of the Ashkenazi leadership, representatives of the society set out to obtain the approbation of R. Shmuel Salant, but the latter was in Hebron at that time. Since time was pressing, they printed the present leaf, assuming that R. Shmuel Salant would have given his approval had he been asked. Upon his return, R. Shmuel Salant refused to give his approbation to the society, and the leaf was reprinted with the omission of his supposed approval. It is the latter version that was spread and published in the press of those times.
[1] leaf. 34 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Stains and minor wear. Marginal open tear, not affecting text.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.