Kvitlekh: an unknown Hasidic genealogic goldmine?

Hello everyone! Today I’m going to explore kvitlekh which is a resource which can be incredibly helpful to learn more about your Hasidic ancestors that I haven’t seen talked about in any other blogs.

A kvitel (plural kvitlekh) which is Yiddish for “little note” is a practice done in Hasidic Judaism where the petitioner (or a member of the Rebbe’s court on their behalf) writes their and theirs mother’s Hebrew names, along with the names of his family. They then write a request which could be for better health, help finding a spouse, and many other things.

The kvitel I’m going to show today is from Rabbi Meir Feivel Bromberg Melamed of Dobrzyń nad Drwęcą to Rabbi Elijahu Guttmacher asking for G’d to cure his and his wife’s heart pain, and for their new born son to live a good life.

The first line “דאברזינסקי אצל גאללוב” is the town the petitioner is from which in this case is “Dovrzyn at Gollub” which is Dobrzyń nad Drwęcą modern day Golub-Dobrzyń in Poland.

The first part of the second line “מאיר שרגא בנ פייגא הכהן” states the petitioner’s name which is Meir Shraga ben Feiga HaCohen, with the rest of the line and the start of the third line “לעבודת המקום ב”ה לרפואה שלמה במהרה מכאב הלב” talking about a speedy recovery from heart pain.

The rest of the third line “כדי שאכל לעסוק עבודת הקודש ? כי הוא מלמד להועיל” states that he is a teacher, with the next line “שמה לנשואת חן ? אנשי העיר כי הוא ממדינת ליטא והוא גר בארץ” saying that he’s originally from Lithuania, and now lives in the city (Dobrzyń).

The fifth line “אחרת ואין לו על מי להשען כי אם על תפלת הצדיק ?(א)דמו״ר שליט״א” states that he has no one to rely on while he’s sick, the sixth line “שיבוא לו עדנה ורפואה מן השמים ולפרנסה טובה ברווח והצלחה” then says may the heavens heal him.

The next line “ולגידול בנים ? בנחת ? ד’ רחל לאה בת פייגא מנקת” then asks that him and his wife “חל לאה בת פייגא” Rahel Layah bat Feiga may peacefully raise their children, then the eight line “לשפע חלב ולרפואה שלימה מכאב הלב לה לפעמים ? ולכט ולהרין טוב” expands on that, while asking for recovery from heart pain that Rahel shares with her husband, and for a easy birth.

The ninth line “”בנם היווק יוסף צבי לגדלו לתורה ולחופה ולמע”ט ולכ”ט לאוי”ט בלא”
” then goes on to ask that their son “וסף צבי” may grow up to have a good life, and eventually marry. The second to last line “צער כק בנחת והוא חוקם מארבעה ילדים שה? להם נא מאדומו״ר” then states that Meir has four children, with the final line “הצדיק שליט״א להתפלל עובור” asking that the Rebbe (Elijahu Guttmacher) pray for him.

Let’s go on to examine what this told us. First it gives us his, his mother’s, his wife’s, his mother-in-law, and his son’s Hebrew names, that he was born in Lithuania, he now lives in Dobrzyń nad Drwęcą, is a teacher, and that both him and his wife suffered from some sort of heart pain.

As you can see there’s potential for finding so much more information in these.