R' Simcha Halberstadt, A.B.D. Sokol and Dessau

R. Simcha [Ashkenazi-Halberstam] of Dessau, a prominent Torah scholar of the second half of the 18th century, one of the five renowned sons of R. Zvi Hirsh Charif Rabbi of Halberstadt, author of Ateret Zvi, Tiferet Zvi, etc. In 1755, in the capacity of his first rabbinical position in the city of Łęczna he was already considered a prominent Torah leaders of his times. In 1761, after his father relocated to serve in the Hanover rabbinate, his son R. Simcha succeeded him as Rabbi of Sokal and in 1768 after R. David Berlin left the Dessau rabbinate to serve as Rabbi of the three communities, Altona, Wandsbek and Hamburg, Rabbi Simcha was summoned to succeed him in the Dessau rabbinate. Thereafter he was called Rabbi Simcha of Dessau. He was counted among the leading Torah scholars and teachers in his days and his signature appears in approbations of many books printed in his time. His glosses on the Talmud which were found in the possession of his descendants were printed in the Vilna edition of the Talmud and his thoughts written in these glosses are often cited in later books. Picture above: Here above (at the place of the picture of the person) picture of a manuscript letter from Simcha Halberstadt to the rabbi Berlin. The letter (from 1769) was written when Simcha was ABD in Dessau. The letter was sold in 2016 in an auction (for the amount of 8650€).