Rosh Yosef, on Tractate Chulin. By Rabbi Yosef Te'omim, author of Pri Megadim. Józefów, 1882.
On the title page is the signature of Rebbe "Yosef Meir Weiss son of R' Shmuel Zvi of Mukacheve". Three more signatures in his own handwriting, "Yosef Meir Weiss", additional signatures and stamps of Rabbi "Shmuel Schwartz" from the city of Mád, and more signatures and stamps.
Rebbe Yosef Meir Weiss, author of Imrei Yosef of Spinka (1838-1909), the first Spinka Rebbe, predecessor of the dynasty of Spinka rebbes. Son of Rabbi Shmuel Zvi Weiss Ra'avad of Mukacheve (see next item). Prominent Torah scholar and Chassid, disciple of the Maharam Ash, Rabbi Meir Eisensteter, Av Beit Din of Uzhhorod (Ungvár) and his son Rabbi Menachem Eisensteter, Av Beit Din of Uzhhorod. He also studied Torah from Rebbe Shmuel Shmelke of Vynohradiv (Selish), author of Tzror HaChaim, and from his uncle the Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Weiss of Svalyava.
From his youth, he clung to Chassidism and travelled to Rebbe Sar Shalom of Belz. He was also accustomed to travelling to Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Vizhnitz and to Rabbi Chaim of Sanz, author of Divrei Chaim. However, his primary rebbe was his relative, Rebbe Yitzchak Isaac of Zhydachiv - the Mahari, who considered him his most illustrious disciple and "would call him every day and speak to him for hours words of wisdom and fear of Heaven, and at times he studied with him the Holy Books, Torah and Talmud anthologies".
In 1870, his Rebbe, the Mahari of Zhydachiv appointed him rebbe, but he refused to receive Chassidim during his rebbe's lifetime. Only in 1876, did he concede to the instructions of his teacher Rebbe Chaim of Sanz who ordained him rebbe, and from that time he began receiving Chassidim in Spinka in the Maramureş region, where he lived. His name quickly spread throughout Hungary and Galicia and thousands of Chassidim became his disciples, among them many prominent Torah scholars such as Rabbi Shalom Mordechai Schwadron, the Maharsham of Berezhany. He also had close ties with tsaddikim of his times, Rebbe Yekutiel Yehuda Halberstam of Siget, author of Yitav Lev, Rabbi Yechezkel Shrage of Sieniawa, author of Divrei Yechezkel and others.
He was reputed for his amazing proficiency in revealed and hidden Torah. On the occasions that he would travel to Rabbi Chaim of Sanz, the rebbe "would welcome him heartily and he showed love and attachment to Rabbi Yosef Meir and would discuss with him at length Kabbalistic wisdom, although he would not talk about these matters with anyone". The Spinka Chassidism preserved the Zhydachiv version of prayer and conduct. His prayers inspired the Chassidic masses and are described as prayers with amazing powers, beyond human strength. Stories are told of the amazing wonders he performed, with blessings and counsel pronounced with the Holy Spirit. His son the Mahari of Spinka attests that his blessings "worked many wonders and that many childless women bore children by his prayers and his prayers cured the ill… I can almost say that every word which was emitted from his holy mouth did not return unanswered…". Even after his death, his grave was renowned as site for prayer for salvation. In 1972, his remains was brought to Eretz Israel and he was buried in the special burial plot of Spinka Chassidim in the Segulah cemetery in Petach Tikva.
232 pages, 30.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Wear and use marks. Old non-contemporary binding.

Etz Chaim, by Rabbi Chaim Vital. With the Yafe Sha'ah commentary; the HaShemesh commentary and Nahar Shalom by Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, the Rashash; glosses and explanations, etc. Published by Rabbi Menachem Menchin Halprin. Warsaw, 1890. Printed by R' Ya'akov Unter-Hendler. Separate title pages for Part 2 and for Nahar Shalom.
Ownership stamps of Rabbi "Shmuel son of R. A. Bornstein - Sochaczew Warsaw District". Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein the Sochatchov Rebbe, author of Shem M'Shmuel was born to the author of Avnei Nezer in Kotzk, in the house of his grandfather the Saraph, Rebbe Mendele in 1856. In 1890, he succeeded his father as Rebbe and was one of the leading rebbes of his generation. He died in 1926. He is renowned mainly for his profound book on Chassidic thought, Shem M'Shmuel, which was printed in seven parts.
[3], 112 leaves; 119 leaves; 56 leaves. 32 cm. Good condition. Few stains and wear. Old binding.
Provenance: The Sassoon family collection.

Manuscript of novellae and compilation of teachings of Chassidic Rebbes on the Torah and on Nevi'im [1872].
Compiled novellae on the Five Books of the Torah and on Nach (Nevi'im and Ketuvim), (Yeshaya, Ruth, Tehillim, Mishlei, Shir HaShirim, Kohelet) and compilations on the Talmud. Some of the novellae were written by the author himself. He cites novellae from known Chassidic literature (Be'er Mayim Chaim, Regel Yeshara, Avodat Yisrael, Chamat Ariel, etc.), and oral teachings in the name of the rebbes of Kosov, Ruzhyn, Belz and Rebbe Gedalya Aharon [of Illintsi].
The writer is unidentified, but from his writings, it is evident that he used to deliver Torah discourses in public at the Shabbat tables (tisch). In some of the compilations, things are cited which were "spoken at the morning meal - 8th of Adar 1872 [Shabbat Parshat Teruma, the 8th of Adar Aleph 1872]. In another place he cites a letter "from our father, from Shabbat 1872, the 12th of Cheshvan, on his 60th birthday and he prepared a "Seudat Rav Yosef" upon completing the Talmud".
More than 260 written pages. 20 cm. Thin, high-quality paper. Good condition. Few stains and wear. Fabric binding, rubbed.

Manuscript, Sefer HaMidot by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, including Shemot HaTsaddikim and an abridgement of Likutei Moharan. At the end is a compilation of piyyutim. [Aleppo? / Baghdad?, ca. 1850].
An unknown piyyut of bakashot is written before the title page: "Oneh B'et Tsar", with the author's mark: "Ezra Chazak". On a page at the end of the book is another piyyut: "Bati Legani Tsivia…" [Piyyut by Rabbi Ezra Elya Sofer, printed in books of Bakashot - see enclosed photocopy].
This item portrays an interesting phenomenon of Oriental copying of Breslov Chassidic books at an early time in which the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov had not yet spread to Oriental countries [according to the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, none of Rabbi Nachman's books had been printed in Oriental countries]. Rabbi Natan of Breslov, disciple of Rabbi Nachman, spread the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov during his travels to Eretz Israel, while passing through Istanbul, Lebanon and Alexandria. This manuscript is apparently a rare copy of books distributed in these countries by Rabbi Natan.
Owners' (apparently the writer) signature: "Avraham Yosef C. Avraham". More signatures: "Yosef Rachamim'; "I am the last redeemer S.M.S."; "Ezra Avraham Shochet"; "Shlomo Abed Shlomo Moshe Tavene" [the famous Rabbi Shlomo Tavene, born in Baghdad in 1871, appointed Rabbi of Calcutta, India. Authored and printed dozens of halachic and musar books and piyyutim]; another unidentified signature.
[2], 195, [3] leaves. 13.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Wear and stains. Ancient worn leather binding.
Provenance: The Sassoon family collection, Manuscript no. 1300. Pasted on the endpaper is a leaf with a typewritten self-dedication: "This Sefer HaMidot was given to me as a gift by my friend…son of the G-dly Kabbalist R' Shimon Agasi, Mr. Ezra Zion Agassi. For my good name Yehoshua Meir Moshe…".

Beit Avraham, articles on the Torah and on the Festivals and letters, by Rebbe Avraham Weinberg of Slonim. [Jerusalem, 1958].
Copy of the Kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Ze'ev Leibowitz, with dozens of long handwritten glosses (some signed). On the endpapers are long notes in his handwriting. Among the leaves, is a leaf in his handwriting.
The Kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Ze'ev Leibowitz (1922-2010), disciple of the author of the Sulam and one of the hidden tsaddikim of his generation, was born in the village of Satmar and studied Torah from Rebbe Yoel of Satmar and from Rabbi Yehuda Rosner Av Beit Din of Sekelheid, author of Imrei Yehuda. During the Holocaust, he lost his family in Auschwitz, suffered abuse which later prevented him from marriage and was miraculously saved from hanging. After the liberation, he moved to Eretz Israel and settled in Tel Aviv living alone. In Eretz Israel he joined a group of kabbalists, disciples of Rebbe Yehuda Leib Ashlag author of the Sulam: Rabbi Yehuda Zvi Brandvein, Rabbi Moshe Ya'ir Weinstock and Rabbi Yoseph Weinstock. Contrary to the other disciples, Rabbi Leibowitz remained anonymous for many years but had close contact with leading Torah scholars, rabbis and rebbes of his times, such as Rabbi Aharon Rokeach of Belz, Rebbe Yekutiel Yehuda Halberstam of Sanz-Kloizenburg, etc. These great individuals held him in high esteem and some of them considered him as one of the lamed vav hidden tsaddikim. In his senior years, he moved to Bnei Brak and among those who used to visit him and learn from him were Rabbi Wosner and Rabbi Mordechai Gross. Extraordinary stories are told, of his ruach hakodesh, of his ability to "read" sins in people's faces and their reparations and of people who were cured and who were delivered from trouble by his intervention on their behalf. People say that he merited the appearance of the Prophet Eliyahu and that the souls of tsaddikim came to visit him. He was an outstanding Torah genius, proficient in revealed and hidden Torah and his letters were printed in the books: Kol Yehuda Ba'al HaKetavim, V'Zot L'Yehuda, Yizal Mayim MeDalyo, Or Levi Ziv Yehuda, etc.
[12], 277 pages (lacking title page) + [5] pages in his handwriting (on the endpapers). 23 cm. Good condition. Stains. Damages and worming to binding.