Lot 401
Netivot Shalom by "The Admor HaTzayar" of Drohobych – Illustrated Binding
Netivot Shalom, essays on the Torah weekly portions, Bereshit, by R. Avraham Yaakov Shapira. Jerusalem, 1928.
Bound with the books: Tov LeZikaron and Yafeh L'Bedika. [Vilna, 1896]. Lacking title page. Tiferet Beit Levi. [Iași 1909]. Lacking first two leaves.
The binding of this book is adorned with a watercolor in a repetitive pattern, apparently made by the Rebbe, author of the book, with a scene of a house in the woods.
Short notations on Page 16 and on one of the introduction leaves, possibly written by the author.
The "Admor HaTzayar" (Rebbe the Painter), R. Avraham Yaakov Shapira (1884-1962, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, Vol. 1, pp. 111-112), son of the Drohobych Rebbe Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapira. His mother was a descendant of the house of Ruzhin-Bohosh (Buhuşi). He was ordained for the rabbinate in his youth but refused to fill a rabbinical position. An exceptional scholar in revealed and kabbalist Torah knowledge, apparent in the Torah writings he left. Immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1922, he settled in Kfar Chassidim in Emek Zevulun. After his father's death in 1924, he moved to Jerusalem to serve as Rebbe.
As an artist, the Rebbe would contemplate in awe at the beauty of the creation and of Eretz Israel. He occasionally engaged in art, as part of serving his Creator. The Rebbe is known to have said: "My soul yearns to put on canvas a tiny fraction of the holiness of the Chosen Land belonging to the Chosen People". For more information about him, see the catalog "Tziyurei HaAdmor A.Y. Shapira", Jerusalem, 1966.
Netivot Shalom: [5], 2-47 pages. Tov LeZikaron: 3-62; 32 pages. Tiferet Beit Levi: 3-32; 36, [2] pages. 23.5 cm. Good condition. Binding illustrated on both covers. A piece of paper is pasted in the center of the drawing on the front cover. Fabric spine and corners of the binding, rubbed. Defects to the binding and drawings. Small parts of the drawing, primarily the edges, are faded and without color.
