The Archives of a 19th-Century Wonderworking Rabbi

Born in 1796 in western Poland—an area that had recently been conquered by Prussia—Rabbi Elijah Guttmacher studied under the renowned talmudist Akiva Eiger and distinguished himself as a great scholar of Jewish law and kabbalah. He also was a supporter of early efforts to rebuild Jewish life in the Land of Israel. Pious Jews began sending him letters, asking for his advice or his prayers. Thousands of these petitions have survived, providing a unique window into the everyday life—economic, familial, and spiritual—of ordinary Jews. In conversation with Alyssa Quint, Glenn Dynner explains what his study of these documents has revealed. (Audio, 29 minutes.)