Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
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Displaying 97 - 108 of 162
![Letter (approx. 16 lines) handwritten and signed by Rebbe "Yisrael son of Mordechai Feivish" of Husiatyn. Vienna, [ca. 1930s]](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale63-public/105.jpg "Letter from Rebbe Yisrael of Husiatyn – Blessings for Recovery and Pro")
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $4,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $5,000
Including buyer's premium
Letter (approx. 16 lines) handwritten and signed by Rebbe "Yisrael son of Mordechai Feivish" of Husiatyn. Vienna, [ca. 1930s].
Sent to his grandson "son-in-law of my son-in-law, my dear and beloved R. Yaakov Yoshua" (R. Yaakov Yehoshua Heschel Bauminger). The Rebbe describes in great detail his state of health, that of his wife the Rebbetzin and of his daughter Rebbetzin Chava who requires surgery – "And G-d in his great mercy sent her a cure… and from now may G-d in his great compassion and kindness protect us from all illness and any trouble, Amen". The Rebbe subsequently informs him of the wellbeing of "his wife, my dear granddaughter, as well as her pleasant son, they are well, may G-d perpetuate that for eternity". The letter concludes with the Rebbe's prayers for "R. Shlomo son of Malka Sara… and I pray to G-d that he should have an imminent, complete recovery, and may his healing sprout from Heaven… so are the words of his father-in-law's father-in-law, who inquires of his wellbeing with love – Yisrael son of R. Mordechai Feivish".
Rebbe Yisrael Friedman of Husiatyn, elder of Ruzhiner Rebbes was the last grandson of Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin. Born in 1858 to Rebbe Mordechai Feivish of Husiatyn, he succeeded in father in Husiatyn in 1894, and from 1914, in Vienna. In 1937, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, settling in Tel-Aviv. The narrative of his prayer at the gravesite of the Or HaChaim in presence of leading Kabbalists is well-known (during the Holocaust, there was a grave concern that the Nazi army, under the command of Rommel, would conquer the Egyptian front, and from there reach Eretz Israel, annihilating G-d forbid its inhabitants) as well as his famous statement at that gathering, that the enemy would not rule over Eretz Israel. He passed away in Tel-Aviv on Chanukah 1949 and was buried in Tiberias. His son-in-law, Rebbe Yaakov Friedman (1878-1956), son of Rebbe Yitzchak of Bohush (Buhuși), succeeded him as Rebbe of Husiatyn.
The recipient of the letter, R. Yaakov Yehoshua Heschel Bauminger (1893-1953), was the son-in-law of Rebbe Yaakov of Bohush-Husiatyn, and son of R. Yitzchak Bauminger, community leader in Kraków and member of the Polish parliament (Sejm) representing Agudat Yisrael. R. Yaakov Yehoshua later served as secretary of the Rabbinical court system in Tel-Aviv.
[1] leaf. 20 cm. 16 lines in his handwriting and with his signature. Very good condition. Filing holes.
Sent to his grandson "son-in-law of my son-in-law, my dear and beloved R. Yaakov Yoshua" (R. Yaakov Yehoshua Heschel Bauminger). The Rebbe describes in great detail his state of health, that of his wife the Rebbetzin and of his daughter Rebbetzin Chava who requires surgery – "And G-d in his great mercy sent her a cure… and from now may G-d in his great compassion and kindness protect us from all illness and any trouble, Amen". The Rebbe subsequently informs him of the wellbeing of "his wife, my dear granddaughter, as well as her pleasant son, they are well, may G-d perpetuate that for eternity". The letter concludes with the Rebbe's prayers for "R. Shlomo son of Malka Sara… and I pray to G-d that he should have an imminent, complete recovery, and may his healing sprout from Heaven… so are the words of his father-in-law's father-in-law, who inquires of his wellbeing with love – Yisrael son of R. Mordechai Feivish".
Rebbe Yisrael Friedman of Husiatyn, elder of Ruzhiner Rebbes was the last grandson of Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin. Born in 1858 to Rebbe Mordechai Feivish of Husiatyn, he succeeded in father in Husiatyn in 1894, and from 1914, in Vienna. In 1937, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, settling in Tel-Aviv. The narrative of his prayer at the gravesite of the Or HaChaim in presence of leading Kabbalists is well-known (during the Holocaust, there was a grave concern that the Nazi army, under the command of Rommel, would conquer the Egyptian front, and from there reach Eretz Israel, annihilating G-d forbid its inhabitants) as well as his famous statement at that gathering, that the enemy would not rule over Eretz Israel. He passed away in Tel-Aviv on Chanukah 1949 and was buried in Tiberias. His son-in-law, Rebbe Yaakov Friedman (1878-1956), son of Rebbe Yitzchak of Bohush (Buhuși), succeeded him as Rebbe of Husiatyn.
The recipient of the letter, R. Yaakov Yehoshua Heschel Bauminger (1893-1953), was the son-in-law of Rebbe Yaakov of Bohush-Husiatyn, and son of R. Yitzchak Bauminger, community leader in Kraków and member of the Polish parliament (Sejm) representing Agudat Yisrael. R. Yaakov Yehoshua later served as secretary of the Rabbinical court system in Tel-Aviv.
[1] leaf. 20 cm. 16 lines in his handwriting and with his signature. Very good condition. Filing holes.
Category
Chassidic Luminaries – Manuscripts, Letters and Signatures
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $1,875
Including buyer's premium
Lengthy letter (4 pages, over 90 lines) handwritten and signed by Rebbe "Aharon Roth", author of Shomer Emunim. "Sakmar" [Satmar, Cheshvan 1931].
Interesting letter of inspiration and guidance addressed to his followers in Jerusalem, containing the Rebbe's detailed report of his plans to immigrate to Eretz Israel, his intent to print his books Shulchan HaTahor and Taharat HaKodesh, and portraying his efforts to establish additional groups in Satmar (Satu Mare), to draw hundreds more people closer to G-d. The Rebbe describes the persecution he and his group were being subjected to in Satmar, and states his acceptance of G-d's will with love.
This letter was printed partially and in a censored format in Toldot Aharon (part III, Jerusalem 1997, pp. 213-214), with the omission and revision of the passages portraying the hindrances and persecutions the Rebbe endured in Satmar.
Rebbe Aharon (R. Aharele) Roth – (1894-1947) studied in his youth in the yeshiva of R. Yeshaya Silberstein in Waitzen (Vác), and was drawn to Chassidism through his teachers Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech of Bluzhov and Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Belz. He worshiped G-d from a young age with absolute devotion. He established groups of men dedicated to service of G-d in Budapest and in Satmar, under the name Shomer Emunim. In 1925, he immigrated to Jerusalem where he also established a community of Chassidim and disciples who served G-d according to Chassidic principles. Between 1930-1939, he returned to his followers in Satmar, and later in Beregsaz (Berehove). Throughout that time, he maintained his connection with his Chassidim in the Holy Land through correspondence – this letter is from the beginning of that period.
In 1939, he returned to Jerusalem and reorganized his holy group, which is perpetuated until this day, through the Chassidic communities of Toldot Aharon, Shomrei Emunim, Toldot Avraham Yitzchak, Mevakshei Emuna and others. These Chassidic communities are still currently known as R. Aharelach, after their first teacher R. Aharele, whose passionate Chassidism and fear of G-d continues to burn within them. His many books were printed in numerous editions, and are fundamental works in Chassidism and fear of G-d: Taharat HaKodesh, Shulchan HaTahor, Shomer Emunim, Mevakshei Emuna and more.
[1] double leaf. 23 cm. 4 written pages (over 90 autograph lines and signature). Fair-good condition. Dampstains and wear.
Interesting letter of inspiration and guidance addressed to his followers in Jerusalem, containing the Rebbe's detailed report of his plans to immigrate to Eretz Israel, his intent to print his books Shulchan HaTahor and Taharat HaKodesh, and portraying his efforts to establish additional groups in Satmar (Satu Mare), to draw hundreds more people closer to G-d. The Rebbe describes the persecution he and his group were being subjected to in Satmar, and states his acceptance of G-d's will with love.
This letter was printed partially and in a censored format in Toldot Aharon (part III, Jerusalem 1997, pp. 213-214), with the omission and revision of the passages portraying the hindrances and persecutions the Rebbe endured in Satmar.
Rebbe Aharon (R. Aharele) Roth – (1894-1947) studied in his youth in the yeshiva of R. Yeshaya Silberstein in Waitzen (Vác), and was drawn to Chassidism through his teachers Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech of Bluzhov and Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Belz. He worshiped G-d from a young age with absolute devotion. He established groups of men dedicated to service of G-d in Budapest and in Satmar, under the name Shomer Emunim. In 1925, he immigrated to Jerusalem where he also established a community of Chassidim and disciples who served G-d according to Chassidic principles. Between 1930-1939, he returned to his followers in Satmar, and later in Beregsaz (Berehove). Throughout that time, he maintained his connection with his Chassidim in the Holy Land through correspondence – this letter is from the beginning of that period.
In 1939, he returned to Jerusalem and reorganized his holy group, which is perpetuated until this day, through the Chassidic communities of Toldot Aharon, Shomrei Emunim, Toldot Avraham Yitzchak, Mevakshei Emuna and others. These Chassidic communities are still currently known as R. Aharelach, after their first teacher R. Aharele, whose passionate Chassidism and fear of G-d continues to burn within them. His many books were printed in numerous editions, and are fundamental works in Chassidism and fear of G-d: Taharat HaKodesh, Shulchan HaTahor, Shomer Emunim, Mevakshei Emuna and more.
[1] double leaf. 23 cm. 4 written pages (over 90 autograph lines and signature). Fair-good condition. Dampstains and wear.
Category
Chassidic Luminaries – Manuscripts, Letters and Signatures
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $15,000
Estimate: $30,000 - $40,000
Sold for: $20,000
Including buyer's premium
Court ruling (3 large pages), Heter Me'a Rabbanim – signed by 115 rabbis, permitting Rebbe Mordechai Rokeach to remarry, after his first wife disappeared during the Holocaust. Iyar 22, 1946.
The court ruling begins with the account of the disappearance of Rebbetzin Batsheva Rokeach (daughter of Rebbe Moshe Aharon Rabinowitz of Kobryn), after she travelled in 1941 with her young daughter to Kobryn to visit her ailing mother, "and meanwhile, the accursed war between the Germans and the Russians broke out". In the summer of 1942, the eradication of the Jews of Kobryn was already publicized, and according to information which reached the organization of Kobryn Immigrants – of the thousands of Jews living in Kobryn before the Holocaust, only a few survived.
The signatories are headed by the dayanim of the Beit Din of Chassidim in Jerusalem: R. Yerucham Fischel Bernstein, R. Naftali Tzvi Schmerler and R. Yisrael Yitzchak HaLevi Reisman, followed by dozens more signatures (on both sides of the page) – from rabbis, rebbes, and young Torah scholars of Jerusalem, including: R. Yosef Meir Kahane (Rebbe of Spinka); R. Chanoch Dov Padwa (later rabbi of the Union of Orthodox communities in London); R. Shlomo Schreiber (a dean of the Chayei Olam yeshiva); R. Moshe Haskin (the rabbi from Pryluky); R. Shmuel Kipnis (head of Otzar HaPoskim); R. Yoel Ashkenazi Rabbi of Iași; R. Meir Stalwitz (Rabbi of Zichron Moshe, the rabbi of Choslovitz); R. Binyamin Rabinowitz (later member of the Eda HaCharedit Beit Din and Rebbe of the Mishkenot HaRo'im community); R. Yehoshua Mordechai Feigenbaum (the rabbi of Sobrance); R. Avraham Yitzchak Kohn (later Rebbe of Toldot Aharon); R. Avraham Chaim Roth (later Rebbe of Shomrei Emunim); R. Shalom Safrin (Rebbe of Komarna); R. Elazar Meir Bein; R. Yosef Binyamin Rubin; R. Chaim Yisrael Haltovsky and others.
R. Mordechai Rokeach, Rebbe of Biłgoraj (1901-1949, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut III, pp. 224-225), was the son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Belz. Following the death of his father, he was appointed rabbi of Biłgoraj, renouncing the position of rebbe to his older brother. During the Holocaust, after much wandering, he found his brother and they travelled together until they managed to flee to Hungary and from there to Eretz Israel. Upon their arrival, R. Mordechai became one of the most prominent figures in Eretz Israel and assisted his brother with the reestablishment of the Belz dynasty. In 1946, upon receiving word that his wife and children were murdered in the Holocaust, he turned to receive a Heter Me'a Rabbanim to remarry (the evidence of his wife's murder in Kobryn was not based on verified testimonies, since almost no survivors remained from Kobryn, and the Rebbe was concerned about the Cherem of Rabbeinu Gershom). He remarried to Rebbetzin Miriam (Glick, from the city of Satmar) and passed away shortly thereafter. His only son from that marriage, the current Rebbe of Belz, was born in Shevat 1948.
3 pages, 32.5 cm. [2] typewritten pages, and a page and a half with the handwritten signatures of 115 rabbis and rebbes. Good-fair condition. Water damage.
The court ruling begins with the account of the disappearance of Rebbetzin Batsheva Rokeach (daughter of Rebbe Moshe Aharon Rabinowitz of Kobryn), after she travelled in 1941 with her young daughter to Kobryn to visit her ailing mother, "and meanwhile, the accursed war between the Germans and the Russians broke out". In the summer of 1942, the eradication of the Jews of Kobryn was already publicized, and according to information which reached the organization of Kobryn Immigrants – of the thousands of Jews living in Kobryn before the Holocaust, only a few survived.
The signatories are headed by the dayanim of the Beit Din of Chassidim in Jerusalem: R. Yerucham Fischel Bernstein, R. Naftali Tzvi Schmerler and R. Yisrael Yitzchak HaLevi Reisman, followed by dozens more signatures (on both sides of the page) – from rabbis, rebbes, and young Torah scholars of Jerusalem, including: R. Yosef Meir Kahane (Rebbe of Spinka); R. Chanoch Dov Padwa (later rabbi of the Union of Orthodox communities in London); R. Shlomo Schreiber (a dean of the Chayei Olam yeshiva); R. Moshe Haskin (the rabbi from Pryluky); R. Shmuel Kipnis (head of Otzar HaPoskim); R. Yoel Ashkenazi Rabbi of Iași; R. Meir Stalwitz (Rabbi of Zichron Moshe, the rabbi of Choslovitz); R. Binyamin Rabinowitz (later member of the Eda HaCharedit Beit Din and Rebbe of the Mishkenot HaRo'im community); R. Yehoshua Mordechai Feigenbaum (the rabbi of Sobrance); R. Avraham Yitzchak Kohn (later Rebbe of Toldot Aharon); R. Avraham Chaim Roth (later Rebbe of Shomrei Emunim); R. Shalom Safrin (Rebbe of Komarna); R. Elazar Meir Bein; R. Yosef Binyamin Rubin; R. Chaim Yisrael Haltovsky and others.
R. Mordechai Rokeach, Rebbe of Biłgoraj (1901-1949, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut III, pp. 224-225), was the son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Belz. Following the death of his father, he was appointed rabbi of Biłgoraj, renouncing the position of rebbe to his older brother. During the Holocaust, after much wandering, he found his brother and they travelled together until they managed to flee to Hungary and from there to Eretz Israel. Upon their arrival, R. Mordechai became one of the most prominent figures in Eretz Israel and assisted his brother with the reestablishment of the Belz dynasty. In 1946, upon receiving word that his wife and children were murdered in the Holocaust, he turned to receive a Heter Me'a Rabbanim to remarry (the evidence of his wife's murder in Kobryn was not based on verified testimonies, since almost no survivors remained from Kobryn, and the Rebbe was concerned about the Cherem of Rabbeinu Gershom). He remarried to Rebbetzin Miriam (Glick, from the city of Satmar) and passed away shortly thereafter. His only son from that marriage, the current Rebbe of Belz, was born in Shevat 1948.
3 pages, 32.5 cm. [2] typewritten pages, and a page and a half with the handwritten signatures of 115 rabbis and rebbes. Good-fair condition. Water damage.
Category
Chassidic Luminaries – Manuscripts, Letters and Signatures
Catalogue
![Polish passport of Rebbe Aharon Rokeach of Belz, with his picture and signature. [Eretz Israel, 1948]. The passport was issue](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale63-public/108_1.jpg "Passport of Rebbe Aharon Rokeach of Belz – With his Picture and Signat")
![Polish passport of Rebbe Aharon Rokeach of Belz, with his picture and signature. [Eretz Israel, 1948]. The passport was issue](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale63-public/108_2.jpg "Passport of Rebbe Aharon Rokeach of Belz – With his Picture and Signat")
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $30,000
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000
Sold for: $47,500
Including buyer's premium
Polish passport of Rebbe Aharon Rokeach of Belz, with his picture and signature. [Eretz Israel, 1948].
The passport was issued in Tel Aviv by the Polish consulate on March 10, 1948. On the second leaf, the picture of the Rebbe is pasted (a reproduction of the famous picture from 1934, of the Rebbe leaning on a train window sill), with embossed relief-stamps of the consulate. Below the picture is the signature of the Rebbe "Aharon Rokeach".
The passport contains stamps, with entry visas completed by hand to Czechoslovakia and Switzerland.
This passport was issued as part of the Rebbe's plan to leave Eretz Israel during the War of Independence, in response to the entreaties of his Chassidim in Europe. This plan was never realized, and the Rebbe remained in Eretz Israel. The book BiKedushato Shel Aharon (part II, pp. 96-97) relates this episode, documenting that the Rebbe acceded to the pleas of his Chassidim to move over to Europe, requesting of his attendant, R. Moshe (Gross), to obtain a passport for him, and reserve a plane ticket. The flight was scheduled for Thursday, Adar 21 – the day of the Yahrtzeit of the Rebbe's mother. When the Rebbe realized this, he declared that he had never travelled on a Yahrtzeit, and the trip was repeatedly postponed. When R. Unterman, chief rabbi of Tel Aviv found out, he sent a delegation to the Rebbe bidding him to remain. The Rebbe replied that he had never intended to travel, but he had been taught by his father R. Yissachar Dov that at such times, one should prepare to travel.
Rebbe Aharon Rokeach of Belz (1880-1957) was renowned as a miracle worker and a holy man, earning the epithet "Aharon, G-d's holy one". A foremost Rebbe and leader of European Jewry before the Holocaust, he also rebuilt Torah and Chassidut after the war. He was the son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Belz (the Maharid) and grandson of Rebbe Yehoshua of Belz. From a young age, he was known for his great holiness and toil in Torah and Chassidic works, together with his outstanding asceticism. He earned the reputation of an advocate of the Jewish people and a wonder-worker benefiting from Divine Inspiration, and thousands flocked his court to seek his blessings, advice and salvation. He was appointed Rebbe of the Belz Chassidut in 1927 and became one of the foremost leaders of Eastern European Jewry. As such, he was especially targeted by the Nazis during the Holocaust. His followers smuggled him from ghetto to ghetto, until he miraculously managed to escape to Budapest, Hungary, where he remained for a short period, until the Nazis demanded his extradition. From there he made his way to Eretz Israel on a difficult journey that spanned Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Syria. His wife, children, grandchildren and entire extended family were killed by the Nazis, and he arrived in Eretz Israel accompanied only by his brother, R. Mordechai of Biłgoraj (1901-1949, who also lost his entire family, his only remnant being his son, R. Yissachar Dov, current Belzer Rebbe, born of his second marriage in Eretz Israel). Rebbe Aharon of Belz settled in Tel Aviv, where he endeavored to encourage Holocaust survivors, and together with his brother R. Mordechai of Biłgoraj, re-established the Belz Chassidut institutions in Eretz Israel and around the world - in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and other places.
Passport. 14 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor wear to the wrappers.
The passport was issued in Tel Aviv by the Polish consulate on March 10, 1948. On the second leaf, the picture of the Rebbe is pasted (a reproduction of the famous picture from 1934, of the Rebbe leaning on a train window sill), with embossed relief-stamps of the consulate. Below the picture is the signature of the Rebbe "Aharon Rokeach".
The passport contains stamps, with entry visas completed by hand to Czechoslovakia and Switzerland.
This passport was issued as part of the Rebbe's plan to leave Eretz Israel during the War of Independence, in response to the entreaties of his Chassidim in Europe. This plan was never realized, and the Rebbe remained in Eretz Israel. The book BiKedushato Shel Aharon (part II, pp. 96-97) relates this episode, documenting that the Rebbe acceded to the pleas of his Chassidim to move over to Europe, requesting of his attendant, R. Moshe (Gross), to obtain a passport for him, and reserve a plane ticket. The flight was scheduled for Thursday, Adar 21 – the day of the Yahrtzeit of the Rebbe's mother. When the Rebbe realized this, he declared that he had never travelled on a Yahrtzeit, and the trip was repeatedly postponed. When R. Unterman, chief rabbi of Tel Aviv found out, he sent a delegation to the Rebbe bidding him to remain. The Rebbe replied that he had never intended to travel, but he had been taught by his father R. Yissachar Dov that at such times, one should prepare to travel.
Rebbe Aharon Rokeach of Belz (1880-1957) was renowned as a miracle worker and a holy man, earning the epithet "Aharon, G-d's holy one". A foremost Rebbe and leader of European Jewry before the Holocaust, he also rebuilt Torah and Chassidut after the war. He was the son of Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Belz (the Maharid) and grandson of Rebbe Yehoshua of Belz. From a young age, he was known for his great holiness and toil in Torah and Chassidic works, together with his outstanding asceticism. He earned the reputation of an advocate of the Jewish people and a wonder-worker benefiting from Divine Inspiration, and thousands flocked his court to seek his blessings, advice and salvation. He was appointed Rebbe of the Belz Chassidut in 1927 and became one of the foremost leaders of Eastern European Jewry. As such, he was especially targeted by the Nazis during the Holocaust. His followers smuggled him from ghetto to ghetto, until he miraculously managed to escape to Budapest, Hungary, where he remained for a short period, until the Nazis demanded his extradition. From there he made his way to Eretz Israel on a difficult journey that spanned Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Syria. His wife, children, grandchildren and entire extended family were killed by the Nazis, and he arrived in Eretz Israel accompanied only by his brother, R. Mordechai of Biłgoraj (1901-1949, who also lost his entire family, his only remnant being his son, R. Yissachar Dov, current Belzer Rebbe, born of his second marriage in Eretz Israel). Rebbe Aharon of Belz settled in Tel Aviv, where he endeavored to encourage Holocaust survivors, and together with his brother R. Mordechai of Biłgoraj, re-established the Belz Chassidut institutions in Eretz Israel and around the world - in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and other places.
Passport. 14 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor wear to the wrappers.
Category
Chassidic Luminaries – Manuscripts, Letters and Signatures
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $250,000
Estimate: $300,000 - $350,000
Unsold
Large handwritten volume, ledger of the regulations of the Talmud Torah Society, containing hundreds of names of community members. Ujhel (Sátoraljaújhely), 1822-1874.
The regulations are followed by an endorsement handwritten and signed by the rabbi of the city, R. Moshe Teitelbaum, author of Yismach Moshe. The list of names of the society members includes R. Yirmiyahu Löw, Rabbi of Ujhel, his son R. Elazar Löw, and the grandsons of the Yismach Moshe, R. Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum (later Rabbi of Sighet, author of Yitav Lev) and R. Yechezkel Halberstam (later Rabbi of Shinova, author of Divrei Yechezkel).
The Talmud Torah Society was an organization for promoting Torah study in the city, contributing to the tuition of children from destitute homes, providing them with a Torah education. Each of the society members had to sponsor Torah study, thus becoming a member of the association. Like other such societies in Jewish communities, this society was also a social group. The members would gather to study together, and participate in each other's joyous events as well as times of mourning. They would assemble to study Torah throughout the night preceding a Brit Mila, and after the passing of a member, they would study and pray for the elevation of his soul. 48 clauses of regulations relating to monetary and spiritual matters appear on the first five pages of the ledger, obligating the volunteers to support Torah study in the city. The ledger begins with the words: "Today, we have come together, all the undersigned, to strengthen the Talmud Torah Society of our city… and have decided to institute permanent regulations which are listed here…". The 48 regulations follow this introduction.
On p. [3a], at the conclusion of the regulations, are three lines handwritten by R. Moshe Teitelbaum, Rabbi of Ujhel, who writes: "Due to lack of time, I could not study these regulations, however, I rely on the five elected men who have undoubtedly used their judgement properly, and I agree to all these things which were spoken with truth and justice, so says Moshe Teitelbaum of Premishla, here in Ujhel and its region". This endorsement is followed by the signatures of dozens of members of the Talmud Torah Society.
The following rabbis are amongst the signatories on the regulations: R. Aharon Guenzler and his son R. Moshe Yehuda Leib Guenzler (father of R. Shmuel Guenzler Rabbi of Visheva, and father-in-law of R. Avraham Yehuda Schwartz Rabbi of Mád and author of Kol Aryeh); R. Itzek Friedlieber of Sereď (disciple of the Chatam Sofer, HaChatam Sofer V'Talmidav, pp. 245-246); R. Tzvi Hirsh Adler of Abony (disciple of the Chatam Sofer, HaChatam Sofer V'Talmidav, p. 412); R. Yeshaya HaLevi (of Liska, presumably a dayan in Ujhel in 1847-1848); and others.
The pages of the regulations and signatures are followed by about one hundred pages of names of members. Each page bears the names of one or two members in large calligraphic scribal script. The dates of the death of society members appear on some pages, with information pertaining to them and their estates. A copy of the testament of one of the members is presented on p. 10a. The last dozens of pages contain protocols with additional regulations, the names of new members who joined the society throughout the years and the dates of their enrollment.
P. 1a is dedicated to the first and foremost member, the rabbi of the city: "R. Moshe Teitelbaum Rabbi of Ujhel – 1822". Inscribed under his name: "Died at a ripe old age and heavily mourned, 28th Tammuz 1841".
The next two leaves (on a different, greenish paper, bound inside the ledger many years after its first entries) contain the name of R. Yirmiyahu Löw – the renowned author of the Divrei Yirmiyahu books who officiated as rabbi of the city from 1852: "R. Yirmiyahu Löw Rabbi of Ujhel – 1852". Another inscription was added under his name: "R. Yirmiyahu Löw died in 1874 on the first day of Chol HaMoed Pesach. His son and successor, R. Elazar Löw Rabbi of Ujhel, 1874".
The name of the member R. Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum, grandson of the Yismach Moshe, appears on p. 53a. At that time, he was 23 years old (later, Rebbe and Rabbi of Sighet, author of Yitav Lev): "The astute rabbi, R. Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum – 1831". Another documentation of the date the Yitav Lev joined the society appears in the protocols at the end of the volume (p. [149b]): "Thursday of Mishpatim 1831. The young man R. Yekutiel Yehuda grandson of the rabbi, the great luminary, was accepted for…" (listing his weekly contribution).
The last page of the additions at the end of the ledger, features the name of R. Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam, eldest son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, and son-in-law of the son-in-law of the Yismach Moshe (later, Rebbe and Rabbi of Shinova, author of Divrei Yechezkel): "Today, the young man R. Yechezkel Halberstam was accepted into the society, with the agreement of the undersigned…" (specifying his weekly contribution).
On p. [2b], Clause 36, an interesting regulation appears: "If a son is born to a member of the society, the administrators will send ten of his neighbors who are society members to the home of the baby's father on the eve before the circumcision, before nightfall, to pray the evening prayers on time, and they will remain to study Mishnayot until after midnight without pausing. And they will not sit down for a proper meal, thoughthat is customary in our region. Because no source cites such a meal as a seudat mitzvah and night was given for [Torah] study, and it causes many to waste their time on frivolous conversation. However, the custom of serving fruit, various pastries and black coffee to keep them awake is a pleasing and acceptable practice…".
This ledger contains a veritable treasure trove of data about the city of Ujhel and its community leaders during the first half of the 19th century.
R. Moshe Teitelbaum, Rabbi of Ujhel (1759-1841), was an illustrious Chassidic leader in Hungary and Galicia. An outstanding Torah scholar and G-dly Kabbalist, sharp and proficient in all facets of Torah, revealed as well as hidden. During his lifetime, he became famous as an awesome holy divine figure, with Divine Inspiration, who worked wonders. He first served in the Shinova (Sieniawa) rabbinate from 1785-1808, and in 1808, was appointed rabbi of Ujhel and its region. During the first half of his life, R. Moshe was an opponent of Chassidism, and in his youth, he travelled to Vilna to study Torah from the Vilna Gaon (R. B. Landau, HaGaon HeChassid MiVilna, p. 291, in the name of R. Zalman Weber. The Klausenburg Rebbe cites an interesting testimony from that visit, which his great-grandfather the Yismach Moshe related about the conduct of the Vilna Gaon with his disciples – Responsa Divrei Yatziv, Part IV, Yoreh De'ah, section 131). Over the years, R. Moshe gravitated towards Chassidism, influenced by his son-in-law R. Aryeh Leib Lifshitz of Vishnitsa, author of the Responsa Aryeh D'Bei Ila'i, who convinced his father-in-law to travel to the Chozeh of Lublin. There, R. Moshe saw obvious revelations of Divine Inspiration, and became the Chozeh's close disciple, adhering to Chassidism and disseminating its doctrines throughout the region. This transformation took place while he was still officiating as rabbi of Shinova. He also travelled to the Ohev Yisrael of Apta. From 1815, R. Moshe began distributing amulets to those requiring salvation and "the pen cannot properly describe the wonders performed by those amulets". Reputedly, he deliberated whether to continue writing amulets until he heard a pronouncement from Heaven: "Do not fear for I am with you" (Tehilla L'Moshe). Until this day, most of the texts of amulets and "protections" in Ashkenazi countries are attributed to the Yismach Moshe, including the printed text of the "Protection for the infant and the mother" and "Protection from epidemic". Also the text of the renowned Kerestir amulets, inscribed by Chassidic rebbes for safeguarding home and property, originates from him.
His published writings include the well-known books of homilies - Yismach Moshe on the Torah, Megillot and on Talmudic Aggadot, Tefilla L'Moshe on Tehillim, Responsa Heshiv Moshe and other books. His book Maayan Tahor, with the laws of Nidda in Yiddish for Jewish women, was appended to many siddurim.
R. Yosef Shaul Nathansohn, Rabbi of Lemberg, in his approbation to Responsa Heshiv Moshe, writes that in his youth the author "knew by heart about 800 leaves of the Talmud, all arranged... He was a disciple of the holy Torah scholar, author of Drishat Ari… and received Torah and practical Kabbalah from this righteous man, and I have heard awesome things about him while he was in Ujhel…". Although he and the Chatam Sofer disagreed on several issues, they were close friends and greatly esteemed one another. The Chatam Sofer would use effusive expressions of love and reverence in his correspondence to R. Moshe. Once, the Chatam Sofer's son, the Ktav Sofer, contracted a serious illness and the Chatam Sofer appeared to the Yismach Moshe during his prayers on Yom Kippur requesting he pray for his son's salvation. The next day, R. Moshe indeed received a letter from the Chatam Sofer with his request to pray for his son (Tehilla L'Moshe).
According to the testimony of his grandson, the Yitav Lev, Rebbe of Sighet (cited in several places in his books), his grandfather R. Moshe Teitelbaum merited celestial revelations and visions. Once, upon concluding the Amidah prayer, he requested of G-d to merit to see a revelation of what the Rama of Fano wrote in his book Asara Maamarot, that after the destruction of Beit HaMikdash, Eliyahu Hanavi brings the daily Tamid sacrifice. "As soon as he prayed for this, G-d fulfilled his request and he saw with his own eyes Eliyahu clad in priestly garments, standing and sacrificing the Korban Tamid, and this was publicly known" (Yitav Lev). This same grandson also recounts that once he "sat with him (his grandfather) several hours after midnight and he told him a number of awe-inspiring things… Believe me that the angels gather to hear my words… I also hear the announcements made in Heaven…". In many places in his books, the Yismach Moshe cites lofty Torah novellae which were revealed to him in his dreams, sometimes even mentioning the date, such as "On the second day of Rosh Chodesh Adar 1796, I fell asleep on the couch and it was revealed to me…"; "According to a revelation in my dreams regarding the Gan Eden of the Tana'im…". Also, many souls of venerable tzaddikim from the Upper World would appear to him in his room, especially during the Simchat Torah dancing (Tehilla L'Moshe).
[5], 1, [2], 2-23, 25-27, 30-77, [72] leaves. Including 106 written pages (the two leaves bound after leaf 1 are not part of the original ledger). 38 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. New leather binding.
Literature: R. M.A.Z. Kunstlicher, Alei Zikaron, 28, Kislev 2016, pp. 2-17 – "Regulations of the Talmud Torah Society of the Ujhel community – 1822 – With the Endorsement of the Yismach Moshe"; see further: Alei Zikaron, 29, pp. 92-93; HaChatam Sofer V'Talmidav, pp. 245-246, 412.
The regulations are followed by an endorsement handwritten and signed by the rabbi of the city, R. Moshe Teitelbaum, author of Yismach Moshe. The list of names of the society members includes R. Yirmiyahu Löw, Rabbi of Ujhel, his son R. Elazar Löw, and the grandsons of the Yismach Moshe, R. Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum (later Rabbi of Sighet, author of Yitav Lev) and R. Yechezkel Halberstam (later Rabbi of Shinova, author of Divrei Yechezkel).
The Talmud Torah Society was an organization for promoting Torah study in the city, contributing to the tuition of children from destitute homes, providing them with a Torah education. Each of the society members had to sponsor Torah study, thus becoming a member of the association. Like other such societies in Jewish communities, this society was also a social group. The members would gather to study together, and participate in each other's joyous events as well as times of mourning. They would assemble to study Torah throughout the night preceding a Brit Mila, and after the passing of a member, they would study and pray for the elevation of his soul. 48 clauses of regulations relating to monetary and spiritual matters appear on the first five pages of the ledger, obligating the volunteers to support Torah study in the city. The ledger begins with the words: "Today, we have come together, all the undersigned, to strengthen the Talmud Torah Society of our city… and have decided to institute permanent regulations which are listed here…". The 48 regulations follow this introduction.
On p. [3a], at the conclusion of the regulations, are three lines handwritten by R. Moshe Teitelbaum, Rabbi of Ujhel, who writes: "Due to lack of time, I could not study these regulations, however, I rely on the five elected men who have undoubtedly used their judgement properly, and I agree to all these things which were spoken with truth and justice, so says Moshe Teitelbaum of Premishla, here in Ujhel and its region". This endorsement is followed by the signatures of dozens of members of the Talmud Torah Society.
The following rabbis are amongst the signatories on the regulations: R. Aharon Guenzler and his son R. Moshe Yehuda Leib Guenzler (father of R. Shmuel Guenzler Rabbi of Visheva, and father-in-law of R. Avraham Yehuda Schwartz Rabbi of Mád and author of Kol Aryeh); R. Itzek Friedlieber of Sereď (disciple of the Chatam Sofer, HaChatam Sofer V'Talmidav, pp. 245-246); R. Tzvi Hirsh Adler of Abony (disciple of the Chatam Sofer, HaChatam Sofer V'Talmidav, p. 412); R. Yeshaya HaLevi (of Liska, presumably a dayan in Ujhel in 1847-1848); and others.
The pages of the regulations and signatures are followed by about one hundred pages of names of members. Each page bears the names of one or two members in large calligraphic scribal script. The dates of the death of society members appear on some pages, with information pertaining to them and their estates. A copy of the testament of one of the members is presented on p. 10a. The last dozens of pages contain protocols with additional regulations, the names of new members who joined the society throughout the years and the dates of their enrollment.
P. 1a is dedicated to the first and foremost member, the rabbi of the city: "R. Moshe Teitelbaum Rabbi of Ujhel – 1822". Inscribed under his name: "Died at a ripe old age and heavily mourned, 28th Tammuz 1841".
The next two leaves (on a different, greenish paper, bound inside the ledger many years after its first entries) contain the name of R. Yirmiyahu Löw – the renowned author of the Divrei Yirmiyahu books who officiated as rabbi of the city from 1852: "R. Yirmiyahu Löw Rabbi of Ujhel – 1852". Another inscription was added under his name: "R. Yirmiyahu Löw died in 1874 on the first day of Chol HaMoed Pesach. His son and successor, R. Elazar Löw Rabbi of Ujhel, 1874".
The name of the member R. Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum, grandson of the Yismach Moshe, appears on p. 53a. At that time, he was 23 years old (later, Rebbe and Rabbi of Sighet, author of Yitav Lev): "The astute rabbi, R. Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum – 1831". Another documentation of the date the Yitav Lev joined the society appears in the protocols at the end of the volume (p. [149b]): "Thursday of Mishpatim 1831. The young man R. Yekutiel Yehuda grandson of the rabbi, the great luminary, was accepted for…" (listing his weekly contribution).
The last page of the additions at the end of the ledger, features the name of R. Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam, eldest son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, and son-in-law of the son-in-law of the Yismach Moshe (later, Rebbe and Rabbi of Shinova, author of Divrei Yechezkel): "Today, the young man R. Yechezkel Halberstam was accepted into the society, with the agreement of the undersigned…" (specifying his weekly contribution).
On p. [2b], Clause 36, an interesting regulation appears: "If a son is born to a member of the society, the administrators will send ten of his neighbors who are society members to the home of the baby's father on the eve before the circumcision, before nightfall, to pray the evening prayers on time, and they will remain to study Mishnayot until after midnight without pausing. And they will not sit down for a proper meal, thoughthat is customary in our region. Because no source cites such a meal as a seudat mitzvah and night was given for [Torah] study, and it causes many to waste their time on frivolous conversation. However, the custom of serving fruit, various pastries and black coffee to keep them awake is a pleasing and acceptable practice…".
This ledger contains a veritable treasure trove of data about the city of Ujhel and its community leaders during the first half of the 19th century.
R. Moshe Teitelbaum, Rabbi of Ujhel (1759-1841), was an illustrious Chassidic leader in Hungary and Galicia. An outstanding Torah scholar and G-dly Kabbalist, sharp and proficient in all facets of Torah, revealed as well as hidden. During his lifetime, he became famous as an awesome holy divine figure, with Divine Inspiration, who worked wonders. He first served in the Shinova (Sieniawa) rabbinate from 1785-1808, and in 1808, was appointed rabbi of Ujhel and its region. During the first half of his life, R. Moshe was an opponent of Chassidism, and in his youth, he travelled to Vilna to study Torah from the Vilna Gaon (R. B. Landau, HaGaon HeChassid MiVilna, p. 291, in the name of R. Zalman Weber. The Klausenburg Rebbe cites an interesting testimony from that visit, which his great-grandfather the Yismach Moshe related about the conduct of the Vilna Gaon with his disciples – Responsa Divrei Yatziv, Part IV, Yoreh De'ah, section 131). Over the years, R. Moshe gravitated towards Chassidism, influenced by his son-in-law R. Aryeh Leib Lifshitz of Vishnitsa, author of the Responsa Aryeh D'Bei Ila'i, who convinced his father-in-law to travel to the Chozeh of Lublin. There, R. Moshe saw obvious revelations of Divine Inspiration, and became the Chozeh's close disciple, adhering to Chassidism and disseminating its doctrines throughout the region. This transformation took place while he was still officiating as rabbi of Shinova. He also travelled to the Ohev Yisrael of Apta. From 1815, R. Moshe began distributing amulets to those requiring salvation and "the pen cannot properly describe the wonders performed by those amulets". Reputedly, he deliberated whether to continue writing amulets until he heard a pronouncement from Heaven: "Do not fear for I am with you" (Tehilla L'Moshe). Until this day, most of the texts of amulets and "protections" in Ashkenazi countries are attributed to the Yismach Moshe, including the printed text of the "Protection for the infant and the mother" and "Protection from epidemic". Also the text of the renowned Kerestir amulets, inscribed by Chassidic rebbes for safeguarding home and property, originates from him.
His published writings include the well-known books of homilies - Yismach Moshe on the Torah, Megillot and on Talmudic Aggadot, Tefilla L'Moshe on Tehillim, Responsa Heshiv Moshe and other books. His book Maayan Tahor, with the laws of Nidda in Yiddish for Jewish women, was appended to many siddurim.
R. Yosef Shaul Nathansohn, Rabbi of Lemberg, in his approbation to Responsa Heshiv Moshe, writes that in his youth the author "knew by heart about 800 leaves of the Talmud, all arranged... He was a disciple of the holy Torah scholar, author of Drishat Ari… and received Torah and practical Kabbalah from this righteous man, and I have heard awesome things about him while he was in Ujhel…". Although he and the Chatam Sofer disagreed on several issues, they were close friends and greatly esteemed one another. The Chatam Sofer would use effusive expressions of love and reverence in his correspondence to R. Moshe. Once, the Chatam Sofer's son, the Ktav Sofer, contracted a serious illness and the Chatam Sofer appeared to the Yismach Moshe during his prayers on Yom Kippur requesting he pray for his son's salvation. The next day, R. Moshe indeed received a letter from the Chatam Sofer with his request to pray for his son (Tehilla L'Moshe).
According to the testimony of his grandson, the Yitav Lev, Rebbe of Sighet (cited in several places in his books), his grandfather R. Moshe Teitelbaum merited celestial revelations and visions. Once, upon concluding the Amidah prayer, he requested of G-d to merit to see a revelation of what the Rama of Fano wrote in his book Asara Maamarot, that after the destruction of Beit HaMikdash, Eliyahu Hanavi brings the daily Tamid sacrifice. "As soon as he prayed for this, G-d fulfilled his request and he saw with his own eyes Eliyahu clad in priestly garments, standing and sacrificing the Korban Tamid, and this was publicly known" (Yitav Lev). This same grandson also recounts that once he "sat with him (his grandfather) several hours after midnight and he told him a number of awe-inspiring things… Believe me that the angels gather to hear my words… I also hear the announcements made in Heaven…". In many places in his books, the Yismach Moshe cites lofty Torah novellae which were revealed to him in his dreams, sometimes even mentioning the date, such as "On the second day of Rosh Chodesh Adar 1796, I fell asleep on the couch and it was revealed to me…"; "According to a revelation in my dreams regarding the Gan Eden of the Tana'im…". Also, many souls of venerable tzaddikim from the Upper World would appear to him in his room, especially during the Simchat Torah dancing (Tehilla L'Moshe).
[5], 1, [2], 2-23, 25-27, 30-77, [72] leaves. Including 106 written pages (the two leaves bound after leaf 1 are not part of the original ledger). 38 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. New leather binding.
Literature: R. M.A.Z. Kunstlicher, Alei Zikaron, 28, Kislev 2016, pp. 2-17 – "Regulations of the Talmud Torah Society of the Ujhel community – 1822 – With the Endorsement of the Yismach Moshe"; see further: Alei Zikaron, 29, pp. 92-93; HaChatam Sofer V'Talmidav, pp. 245-246, 412.
Category
Satmar and Sighet Chassidism – Manuscripts and Letters, Signatures and Important Ownerships
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $4,000
Estimate: $6,000 - $8,000
Sold for: $7,500
Including buyer's premium
Handwritten halachic ruling, signed by the dayanim R. "Moshe David Ashkenazi here in Safed" and R. "Tzvi Aryeh son of R. Tuvia". [Safed], 1848.
The subject of the ruling is a litigation between neighbors regarding the borders of a courtyard in Safed, and building a staircase to a house in that courtyard.
R. Moshe David Ashkenazi, Rabbi of Tolcsva and Safed (1774-1856, Ishim BiTeshuvot HaChatam Sofer, p. 300), author of Toldot Adam and Be'er Sheva, was the father-in-law of the Yitav Lev of Sighet and father of R. Yoel Ashkenazi Rabbi of Zlotchov. The Rebbes of Satmar and Klausenburg were his descendants. At a young age he was appointed Rabbi of Tolcsva, a position he held for forty years. He moved to Safed in 1844 and was one of the founders of the Chassidic community in post-earthquake Safed. A short while after his immigration to Eretz Israel, he printed his book "Toldot Adam" in the printing press of R. Yisrael Bak in Jerusalem. He authored the book in his thirties and R. Yaakov of Lissa, author of the Chavat Daat, wrote in his approbation to the book: "The famous Torah scholar R. Moshe David… does not need me and my likes, but I honor his wish and cannot refuse a person greater than I". His home and Beit Midrash in Safed were restored by his grandson, the Rebbe of Klausenberg, and at present they house the Sanz institutions in Safed.
The second signatory: R. Tzvi Aryeh Ludmir (1799-1855), was rabbi of his hometown Ludmir (Volodymyr-Volynskyi). In 1834, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, settling in Safed as a hidden righteous man, concealing his learnedness and earning his living as a water-carrier. R. Avraham Dov of Ovruch and R. Shmuel Heller recognized his greatness in Torah and appointed him dayan in the Safed Beit Din. He was miraculously saved from the 1837 earthquake and invested much effort in rebuilding the city.
[1] leaf. 20X13.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Tears and wear, repaired and mounted on paper for preservation.
The subject of the ruling is a litigation between neighbors regarding the borders of a courtyard in Safed, and building a staircase to a house in that courtyard.
R. Moshe David Ashkenazi, Rabbi of Tolcsva and Safed (1774-1856, Ishim BiTeshuvot HaChatam Sofer, p. 300), author of Toldot Adam and Be'er Sheva, was the father-in-law of the Yitav Lev of Sighet and father of R. Yoel Ashkenazi Rabbi of Zlotchov. The Rebbes of Satmar and Klausenburg were his descendants. At a young age he was appointed Rabbi of Tolcsva, a position he held for forty years. He moved to Safed in 1844 and was one of the founders of the Chassidic community in post-earthquake Safed. A short while after his immigration to Eretz Israel, he printed his book "Toldot Adam" in the printing press of R. Yisrael Bak in Jerusalem. He authored the book in his thirties and R. Yaakov of Lissa, author of the Chavat Daat, wrote in his approbation to the book: "The famous Torah scholar R. Moshe David… does not need me and my likes, but I honor his wish and cannot refuse a person greater than I". His home and Beit Midrash in Safed were restored by his grandson, the Rebbe of Klausenberg, and at present they house the Sanz institutions in Safed.
The second signatory: R. Tzvi Aryeh Ludmir (1799-1855), was rabbi of his hometown Ludmir (Volodymyr-Volynskyi). In 1834, he immigrated to Eretz Israel, settling in Safed as a hidden righteous man, concealing his learnedness and earning his living as a water-carrier. R. Avraham Dov of Ovruch and R. Shmuel Heller recognized his greatness in Torah and appointed him dayan in the Safed Beit Din. He was miraculously saved from the 1837 earthquake and invested much effort in rebuilding the city.
[1] leaf. 20X13.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Tears and wear, repaired and mounted on paper for preservation.
Category
Satmar and Sighet Chassidism – Manuscripts and Letters, Signatures and Important Ownerships
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $100,000
Estimate: $120,000 - $150,000
Sold for: $175,000
Including buyer's premium
Keter HaRabbanut – certificate of the appointment of Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar, author of Divrei Yoel, as Rabbi of Satmar, signed by rabbis and notables of the community and its institutions. Satmar, second day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot 1928.
Large certificate in decorative calligraphic writing on high-quality parchment-like paper - flanked by dozens of signatures and stamps. The signatures are headed by the signature of R. Chaim Freund, head of community (famous personage and community leader, descendant of R. Moshe Aryeh Freund who was community head in Sighet during the lifetime of the Yitav Lev and the Kedushat Yom Tov). His signature is followed by dozens of signatures and stamps of the gaba'im of the city Batei Midrash and of rabbis and community dignitaries.
The top of the pages is adorned with enlarged and decorated words. The flowery text of the certificate is arranged according to the initials of the name and surname of the Rebbe. It contains the terms of the rabbinical position, its obligations and privileges, the monthly salary and payment for special occasions such as arranging kiddushin, sermons for Shabbat HaGadol and Shabbat Shuva, etc.
A historical document! The election of R. Yoel Teitelbaum to the Satmar rabbinate was a watershed in the impact of Charedi and Chassidic communities on Jewish public life in Maramureş and in the Transylvanian region. The rabbinate of the large city of Satmar was a significant position of power and Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum took advantage of his authority to establish a powerhouse of Torah and Chassidism, a yeshiva gedola with hundreds of students and a dynamic Chassidic community.
R. Yoel Teitelbaum (1877-1979), descendant of Sighet rabbis and rebbes, a holy man, venerable Torah scholar and fiery Chassid, posek and zealot. His election to the Satmar rabbinate was accompanied by a trenchant polemic which raged in certain circles who opposed the ultra-Orthodox dominance on the city's rabbinate and leadership. Similar polemics were rampant in other large Transylvanian communities as well, such as Klausenburg (Cluj-Napoca) and Berehove, between the Sefarad communities (Chassidim who pray Nusach Sefarad) and the more modern Orthodox circles (Mizrachi and Zionist Movements, even Agudat Yisrael and Machzikei Hadat, who were rejected by the Satmar Chassidim). The authority of the Charedi and Chassidic sectors in the Satmar community triumphed, primarily in the merit of the greatness and clever leadership of the Rabbi of the city, R. Yoel Teitelbaum.
[1] leaf. 39.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Tears in a few places, professionally repaired.
Large certificate in decorative calligraphic writing on high-quality parchment-like paper - flanked by dozens of signatures and stamps. The signatures are headed by the signature of R. Chaim Freund, head of community (famous personage and community leader, descendant of R. Moshe Aryeh Freund who was community head in Sighet during the lifetime of the Yitav Lev and the Kedushat Yom Tov). His signature is followed by dozens of signatures and stamps of the gaba'im of the city Batei Midrash and of rabbis and community dignitaries.
The top of the pages is adorned with enlarged and decorated words. The flowery text of the certificate is arranged according to the initials of the name and surname of the Rebbe. It contains the terms of the rabbinical position, its obligations and privileges, the monthly salary and payment for special occasions such as arranging kiddushin, sermons for Shabbat HaGadol and Shabbat Shuva, etc.
A historical document! The election of R. Yoel Teitelbaum to the Satmar rabbinate was a watershed in the impact of Charedi and Chassidic communities on Jewish public life in Maramureş and in the Transylvanian region. The rabbinate of the large city of Satmar was a significant position of power and Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum took advantage of his authority to establish a powerhouse of Torah and Chassidism, a yeshiva gedola with hundreds of students and a dynamic Chassidic community.
R. Yoel Teitelbaum (1877-1979), descendant of Sighet rabbis and rebbes, a holy man, venerable Torah scholar and fiery Chassid, posek and zealot. His election to the Satmar rabbinate was accompanied by a trenchant polemic which raged in certain circles who opposed the ultra-Orthodox dominance on the city's rabbinate and leadership. Similar polemics were rampant in other large Transylvanian communities as well, such as Klausenburg (Cluj-Napoca) and Berehove, between the Sefarad communities (Chassidim who pray Nusach Sefarad) and the more modern Orthodox circles (Mizrachi and Zionist Movements, even Agudat Yisrael and Machzikei Hadat, who were rejected by the Satmar Chassidim). The authority of the Charedi and Chassidic sectors in the Satmar community triumphed, primarily in the merit of the greatness and clever leadership of the Rabbi of the city, R. Yoel Teitelbaum.
[1] leaf. 39.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Tears in a few places, professionally repaired.
Category
Satmar and Sighet Chassidism – Manuscripts and Letters, Signatures and Important Ownerships
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $10,000
Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000
Sold for: $16,250
Including buyer's premium
Lengthy letter (2 pages, over 42 lines) handwritten and signed by R. Yoel Teitelbaum (later Rebbe of Satmar). Carei (Nagykároly), [between 1932-1934].
Halachic responsum regarding a butcher who sold non-kosher meat, and severe warning not to buy meat from a butcher shop which is not under rabbinic supervision. The responsum was addressed to R. Yechezkel Shraga Citron Rabbi of Encs. This responsum was published in Responsa Divrei Yoel, Part II, Omissions of Yoreh De'ah, section 164. (The letter was written between 1932-1934, since R. Yechezkel Shraga Citron was appointed rabbi of Encs in 1932, and R. Yoel Teitelbaum left Carei for Satmar in 1934).
Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887-1979) was the youngest son of Rebbe Chananya Yom Tov Lipa, the Kedushat Yom Tov (1836-1904), and grandson of Rebbe Yekutiel Yehuda, the Yitav Lev (1808-1883), who served as rabbis of Sighet (Sighetu Marmației) and were leaders of Chassidic Jewry in the Maramureș region.
He was renowned from his youth as a leading Torah scholar of his generation, for his perspicacity and intellectual capacities, as well as for his holiness and outstanding purity. At a young age, he was appointed rabbi of Irshava. In 1925, he was appointed rabbi of Carei (in place of R. Shaul Broch who went to serve as rabbi of Kashoi), and in 1934, of Satmar (Satu Mare). In all the places he served as rabbi, he also maintained a large yeshiva and Chassidic court. He stood at the helm of the faithful, uncompromising Orthodox Jewry in the Maramureș region. After his escape from the Holocaust, he reached America and established the Satmar Chassidic community – the largest Chassidic community in the world. He was one of the founding pillars of Chassidic Jewry after the Holocaust, the president of the Eda HaCharedit in Jerusalem, and a leader of Orthodox Jewry in the United States and throughout the world. His writings resulted in the publishing of dozens of books: VaYoel Moshe, Responsa Divrei Yoel, Divrei Yoel on the Torah and more.
[1] double leaf, official stationery. 2 written pages, over 42 autograph lines and his signature. Approx. 23.5 cm. High-quality paper. Good condition. Folding marks. Minor damage to lower margin.
Halachic responsum regarding a butcher who sold non-kosher meat, and severe warning not to buy meat from a butcher shop which is not under rabbinic supervision. The responsum was addressed to R. Yechezkel Shraga Citron Rabbi of Encs. This responsum was published in Responsa Divrei Yoel, Part II, Omissions of Yoreh De'ah, section 164. (The letter was written between 1932-1934, since R. Yechezkel Shraga Citron was appointed rabbi of Encs in 1932, and R. Yoel Teitelbaum left Carei for Satmar in 1934).
Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887-1979) was the youngest son of Rebbe Chananya Yom Tov Lipa, the Kedushat Yom Tov (1836-1904), and grandson of Rebbe Yekutiel Yehuda, the Yitav Lev (1808-1883), who served as rabbis of Sighet (Sighetu Marmației) and were leaders of Chassidic Jewry in the Maramureș region.
He was renowned from his youth as a leading Torah scholar of his generation, for his perspicacity and intellectual capacities, as well as for his holiness and outstanding purity. At a young age, he was appointed rabbi of Irshava. In 1925, he was appointed rabbi of Carei (in place of R. Shaul Broch who went to serve as rabbi of Kashoi), and in 1934, of Satmar (Satu Mare). In all the places he served as rabbi, he also maintained a large yeshiva and Chassidic court. He stood at the helm of the faithful, uncompromising Orthodox Jewry in the Maramureș region. After his escape from the Holocaust, he reached America and established the Satmar Chassidic community – the largest Chassidic community in the world. He was one of the founding pillars of Chassidic Jewry after the Holocaust, the president of the Eda HaCharedit in Jerusalem, and a leader of Orthodox Jewry in the United States and throughout the world. His writings resulted in the publishing of dozens of books: VaYoel Moshe, Responsa Divrei Yoel, Divrei Yoel on the Torah and more.
[1] double leaf, official stationery. 2 written pages, over 42 autograph lines and his signature. Approx. 23.5 cm. High-quality paper. Good condition. Folding marks. Minor damage to lower margin.
Category
Satmar and Sighet Chassidism – Manuscripts and Letters, Signatures and Important Ownerships
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $8,000
Estimate: $20,000 - $40,000
Sold for: $15,000
Including buyer's premium
Zohar on the Torah – Bereshit, Shemot, Vayikra, Bamidbar and Devarim. Zhitomir: R. Chanina Lipa and R. Yehoshua Heshel Shapira, grandsons of the Slavita rabbi, 1863. Complete three-volume set.
These volumes of the Zohar belonged to the holy Rebbe of Satmar, author of Divrei Yoel. Each title page bears the stamp: "Yoel Teitelbaum Rabbi of Satmar and its region, in the holy city of Jerusalem". One of the volumes bears the same stamp on the last leaf as well. The Satmar Rebbe lived in Eretz Israel for a short while after leaving post-Holocaust Europe and these stamps are from that time.
Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum (1887-1979) was an illustrious Torah scholar, president of the Eda HaCharedit and leader of Charedi American Jewry as well as a mainstay of the post-Holocaust Chassidic world.
Born in Sighet, son of the author of Kedushat Yom Tov and grandson of the author of Yitav Lev, who served as rabbis of Sighet and as Chassidic leaders in the Maramureş region. Renowned from his youth for his sharp mind and genius, for his holiness and his purity. After he wed the daughter of Rebbe A. C. Horwitz, Rabbi of Połaniec, he settled in Satmar and taught Torah and Chassidism to a select group of disciples and chassidim. He served as rabbi of Irshava, Carei (from 1925) and Satmar (from 1934), and in each of these communities also headed a large yeshiva and a large Chassidic community. He stood at the helm of the faithful, uncompromising Orthodox Jewry in the Maramureş region. Rescued from the Holocaust in Dr. Kastner's famous "rescue train", he arrived via Bergen-Belsen and Eretz Israel to the US and founded the largest Chassidic community in the world, the Satmar Chassidic community, which until today is the most dominant community of Orthodox Jews in the US. He also headed the Eda HaCharedit in Jerusalem. He stood at the front of the opposition to Zionism and to the establishment of the State of Israel, heading the struggle for preservation of the holiness of the Jewish People and their Torah way of life. Together with his zealousness for the honor of the Torah and the future of faithful Jewry, he was known for his exceptional acts of chessed. His door was constantly open to those in need and he was always available to help any Jew. An outstanding Torah scholar, he wrote many halachic responsa and his works have been published in dozens of books: VaYoel Moshe, Responsa Divrei Yoel, Divrei Yoel on the Torah, and others.
Three volumes: [4], 251, 16 [i.e. 17]; [1], 1, 3-280 (mispagination, without lack); 309, 11 leaves. 20 cm. Good condition. Stains, dampstains. Infrequent worming. Slight damage to two title pages and to several other leaves, repaired with paper. Ownership inscriptions. Fine new leather bindings.
These volumes of the Zohar belonged to the holy Rebbe of Satmar, author of Divrei Yoel. Each title page bears the stamp: "Yoel Teitelbaum Rabbi of Satmar and its region, in the holy city of Jerusalem". One of the volumes bears the same stamp on the last leaf as well. The Satmar Rebbe lived in Eretz Israel for a short while after leaving post-Holocaust Europe and these stamps are from that time.
Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum (1887-1979) was an illustrious Torah scholar, president of the Eda HaCharedit and leader of Charedi American Jewry as well as a mainstay of the post-Holocaust Chassidic world.
Born in Sighet, son of the author of Kedushat Yom Tov and grandson of the author of Yitav Lev, who served as rabbis of Sighet and as Chassidic leaders in the Maramureş region. Renowned from his youth for his sharp mind and genius, for his holiness and his purity. After he wed the daughter of Rebbe A. C. Horwitz, Rabbi of Połaniec, he settled in Satmar and taught Torah and Chassidism to a select group of disciples and chassidim. He served as rabbi of Irshava, Carei (from 1925) and Satmar (from 1934), and in each of these communities also headed a large yeshiva and a large Chassidic community. He stood at the helm of the faithful, uncompromising Orthodox Jewry in the Maramureş region. Rescued from the Holocaust in Dr. Kastner's famous "rescue train", he arrived via Bergen-Belsen and Eretz Israel to the US and founded the largest Chassidic community in the world, the Satmar Chassidic community, which until today is the most dominant community of Orthodox Jews in the US. He also headed the Eda HaCharedit in Jerusalem. He stood at the front of the opposition to Zionism and to the establishment of the State of Israel, heading the struggle for preservation of the holiness of the Jewish People and their Torah way of life. Together with his zealousness for the honor of the Torah and the future of faithful Jewry, he was known for his exceptional acts of chessed. His door was constantly open to those in need and he was always available to help any Jew. An outstanding Torah scholar, he wrote many halachic responsa and his works have been published in dozens of books: VaYoel Moshe, Responsa Divrei Yoel, Divrei Yoel on the Torah, and others.
Three volumes: [4], 251, 16 [i.e. 17]; [1], 1, 3-280 (mispagination, without lack); 309, 11 leaves. 20 cm. Good condition. Stains, dampstains. Infrequent worming. Slight damage to two title pages and to several other leaves, repaired with paper. Ownership inscriptions. Fine new leather bindings.
Category
Satmar and Sighet Chassidism – Manuscripts and Letters, Signatures and Important Ownerships
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $35,000
Estimate: $40,000 - $60,000
Sold for: $55,000
Including buyer's premium
Likutei Moharan, "Pure essays from the renowned and pious… R. Nachman, grandson of the Baal Shem Tov". Ostroh: Shmuel son of Yissachar Ber Segal, [1808]. First edition.
Complete, fine copy, with wide margins, in good condition.
Likutei Moharan (acronym of "our master and teacher, the rabbi R. Nachman"), the most important book of R. Nachman of Breslov (Bratslav), is the primary work of the Breslov Chassidism doctrine, with considerable influence on Chassidic Jewry until this day. This book is the first edition, consisting of the first part of the composition. This is the only book of R. Nachman's teachings printed during his lifetime and under his directives. After R. Nachman's passing, R. Natan published a second part named Likutei Moharan Tinyana.
The book was edited by R. Nachman's foremost disciple – R. Natan Sternhartz of Nemirov (Nemyriv), known as Moharnat, based on booklets containing the teachings of R. Nachman which R. Natan (and his colleagues) recorded during his lectures. The editing was done at the behest of R. Nachman and under his directives. While R. Natan was engaged in binding the manuscript composition, R. Nachman reputedly told him that although he probably thinks he is dealing with something inconsequential, several worlds actually depend on the binding of this book. R. Nachman considered the printing and study of the book as Atchalta D'Geula – beginning of the Redemption (Chayei Moharan, 346). He expressed effusive praise for his book and its power to confer holiness and purity to whoever studies it, saying amongst others that the book can grant a person superior intellect, since it contains exceptional and profound wisdom, and that studying the book could influence a person to complete repentance (Chayei Moharan, 347, 349). He informed his disciple R. Natan: "You know a little, but more so should you believe, in the magnitude of this book's greatness and holiness" (Chayei Moharan, 369).
R. Nachman also described the great importance of buying this book, asserting that every person should endeavor to purchase the book, and that anyone who could not afford it, should sell the pillow from under his head to buy the book (Chayei Moharan, 349). He
prophesized that it the future, the book would be in high demand and reprinted many times over (ibid.). Furthermore, R. Nachman declared that just having his book in the house is very beneficial for protection of the house and possessions (referring to Likutei Moharan, the only book printed in his lifetime) and he actually urged wealthy people to buy his book as a safeguard for their fortune (Chayei Moharan, 355).
This book earned approbations from the leading righteous men of the generation, yet in his modesty, R. Nachman did not wish to publish them (see R. Natan's preface to the book). These approbations from the Chozeh of Lublin, the Maggid of Kozhnitz and R. Avraham Chaim of Zelechov, were printed in later editions, and include effusive descriptions of R. Nachman's greatness and holiness.
At the top of the title page, a (penciled) signature appears: "Yitzchak Twersky son of the Rabbi of Usti[la]". Another signature at the top of next leaf: "Yitzchak Twersky" (R. Yitzchak Twersky was the son of Rebbe Pinchas Twersky of Ustila and Pshemishel (R. Piniele Ustiler), son-in-law of Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach of Belz. R. Yitzchak perished in the Holocaust together with his father the Rebbe and his entire family).
The foot of the page contains a dedication written by R. Yitzchak, granting this book as a wedding gift to a relative: "…to my dear relative, the groom… Avraham Yoshua Heschel on the occasion of his wedding…". The bottom of the title page contains a stamp of Josef Schneid – Book and Judaica Store in Pshemishel (where Rebbe Pinchas of Ustila and his family resided). [It is intriguing that a Rebbe and his son, from the Chernobyl dynasty (family Twersky) known as fierce opponents of the Breslov movement, would possess a Likutei Moharan].
Complete copy. 160 [i.e. 162] leaves (mispagination). Wide margins. High-quality, light-blueish paper. Good condition. Complete leaves. Stains. Dampstains to several leaves. Dark inkstains to leaves 1-2 affecting several letters. Minor worming to several leaves. Recent inscriptions in pen (mostly addition of section numbers, which weren't published in this edition, and correction of the pagination). New binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 284.
Complete, fine copy, with wide margins, in good condition.
Likutei Moharan (acronym of "our master and teacher, the rabbi R. Nachman"), the most important book of R. Nachman of Breslov (Bratslav), is the primary work of the Breslov Chassidism doctrine, with considerable influence on Chassidic Jewry until this day. This book is the first edition, consisting of the first part of the composition. This is the only book of R. Nachman's teachings printed during his lifetime and under his directives. After R. Nachman's passing, R. Natan published a second part named Likutei Moharan Tinyana.
The book was edited by R. Nachman's foremost disciple – R. Natan Sternhartz of Nemirov (Nemyriv), known as Moharnat, based on booklets containing the teachings of R. Nachman which R. Natan (and his colleagues) recorded during his lectures. The editing was done at the behest of R. Nachman and under his directives. While R. Natan was engaged in binding the manuscript composition, R. Nachman reputedly told him that although he probably thinks he is dealing with something inconsequential, several worlds actually depend on the binding of this book. R. Nachman considered the printing and study of the book as Atchalta D'Geula – beginning of the Redemption (Chayei Moharan, 346). He expressed effusive praise for his book and its power to confer holiness and purity to whoever studies it, saying amongst others that the book can grant a person superior intellect, since it contains exceptional and profound wisdom, and that studying the book could influence a person to complete repentance (Chayei Moharan, 347, 349). He informed his disciple R. Natan: "You know a little, but more so should you believe, in the magnitude of this book's greatness and holiness" (Chayei Moharan, 369).
R. Nachman also described the great importance of buying this book, asserting that every person should endeavor to purchase the book, and that anyone who could not afford it, should sell the pillow from under his head to buy the book (Chayei Moharan, 349). He
prophesized that it the future, the book would be in high demand and reprinted many times over (ibid.). Furthermore, R. Nachman declared that just having his book in the house is very beneficial for protection of the house and possessions (referring to Likutei Moharan, the only book printed in his lifetime) and he actually urged wealthy people to buy his book as a safeguard for their fortune (Chayei Moharan, 355).
This book earned approbations from the leading righteous men of the generation, yet in his modesty, R. Nachman did not wish to publish them (see R. Natan's preface to the book). These approbations from the Chozeh of Lublin, the Maggid of Kozhnitz and R. Avraham Chaim of Zelechov, were printed in later editions, and include effusive descriptions of R. Nachman's greatness and holiness.
At the top of the title page, a (penciled) signature appears: "Yitzchak Twersky son of the Rabbi of Usti[la]". Another signature at the top of next leaf: "Yitzchak Twersky" (R. Yitzchak Twersky was the son of Rebbe Pinchas Twersky of Ustila and Pshemishel (R. Piniele Ustiler), son-in-law of Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach of Belz. R. Yitzchak perished in the Holocaust together with his father the Rebbe and his entire family).
The foot of the page contains a dedication written by R. Yitzchak, granting this book as a wedding gift to a relative: "…to my dear relative, the groom… Avraham Yoshua Heschel on the occasion of his wedding…". The bottom of the title page contains a stamp of Josef Schneid – Book and Judaica Store in Pshemishel (where Rebbe Pinchas of Ustila and his family resided). [It is intriguing that a Rebbe and his son, from the Chernobyl dynasty (family Twersky) known as fierce opponents of the Breslov movement, would possess a Likutei Moharan].
Complete copy. 160 [i.e. 162] leaves (mispagination). Wide margins. High-quality, light-blueish paper. Good condition. Complete leaves. Stains. Dampstains to several leaves. Dark inkstains to leaves 1-2 affecting several letters. Minor worming to several leaves. Recent inscriptions in pen (mostly addition of section numbers, which weren't published in this edition, and correction of the pagination). New binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 284.
Category
Books of Breslov Chassidism - Early and Rare Editions
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $150,000
Estimate: $200,000 - $300,000
Sold for: $200,000
Including buyer's premium
Sipurei Maasiot, parts I and II, "What we merited hearing from the mouth of our holy teacher, the hidden light Moharan (our master and teacher R. Nachman)". [Ostroh?], 1815/1816. First edition. Separate title page for part II (bibliographically unknown).
This is the first edition of Sipurei Maasiot by R. Nachman of Breslov (Bratslav), published by his foremost disciple Moharnat – R. Natan Sternhartz of Nemirov (Nemyriv), a few years after the passing of R. Nachman.
The tales were printed concurrently in two languages, in the upper part of the pages – in Hebrew, and in the lower part, in Yiddish, following the explicit directive of R. Nachman, as R. Natan related in his foreword to the book (R. Nachman originally narrated the tales in Yiddish, and R. Natan was the one who translated them into Hebrew).
R. Nachman himself ascribed great importance to the tales being printed in Yiddish, designating them a Segula for fertility, stating that it was easily possible that a barren woman who would read in it one tale would thereby merit to bear children (Chayei Moharan, 25).
According to Breslov Chassidic tradition, these stories told by R. Nachman of Breslov contain remarkable and profound Kabbalistic meanings, disguised as tales and parables, as stated in the title page, and as R. Natan asserts in his foreword. He writes further that most of the tales are completely original, conceived by R. Nachman, according to lofty insights he perceived with Divine Inspiration, which he disguised with a tale, also from lofty sources. R. Nachman himself extolled the profundity and holiness of his books, according immeasurable Kabbalistic meanings to each passage of the stories, and describing the tales as extremely remarkable and awe-inspiring novellae, containing exceedingly profound and hidden intent, and fitting to be read in public in the synagogue (foreword of R. Natan). These stories are sacred to Breslov followers and sections are read in the synagogue following the Shabbat morning prayers. Already in this first edition, allusions and secrets revealed by R. Nachman were added in several places, and throughout the generations, the stories were interpreted in multiple, varying ways according to Kabbalah, resulting in extensive literature by leading Breslov followers surrounding these tales. R. Natan considered it a great merit to have been the one to publish this book, asserting that to be eulogized as the one who published Sipurei Maasiot, would be a great praise for him (Siach Sarfei Kodesh, 3, 155).
R. Nachman's Sipurei Maasiot publicized him amongst non Torah-observant crowds, and aroused extensive interest amongst researchers and scholars throughout the world. Sipurei Maasiot was published in dozens of editions, including Breslov and Torah editions, as well as adaptations and translations in various languages.
Bibliographically unknown title page: this copy does not contain the eight leaves with "Omissions from the first Likutei Moharan" and "Errata from the first Likutei Moharan", and instead contains an additional title page, defining the additions at the end of the book as part II. This title page in not listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book nor in various bibliography works (it is listed in Stefansky Chassidut based on this copy). The text of the title page is almost identical to that of the first title page, apart from the words "Part II" printed beside the title "Sipurei Maasiot". Following this leaf are 12 leaves of Sipurei Maasiot (consisting of a biography of R. Nachman of Breslov. This part was later printed separately under the name Shivchei HaRan), and 16 leaves entitled Likutei Moharan (later published separately under the name "Sichot HaRan").
Handwritten correction, presumably by R. Natan of Breslov: A handwritten note appears on p. 114b, containing a correction of a printing error. In the section of ten Psalms of Tikun HaKlali, one of the Psalms was printed as 133 instead of 137. The correction renders it 137. The note is written in a handwriting very similar to that of R. Natan of Breslov, and is probably his handwriting (see Sichot HaRan, entry 141, which mentions this mistake: "…only in the first edition of Sipurei Maasiot was the Psalm 137 erroneously recorded by printing error…).
Signatures in Oriental script (on the title page and leaf 3): "Yaakov Bukaie" (calligraphic signature) (R. Yaakov Bukaie, Rabbi and posek in Beirut, d. 1900, see: LiKedoshim Asher BaAretz, section 28). Signatures of "Shmuel Mursiya" (R. Shmuel Mursiya, a rabbi of Allepo, see: LiKedoshim Asher BaAretz, section 284), and of his son "the young David Mursiya".
114; 12; 16 leaves. Leaf 8 of the first pagination was bound out of sequence (between leaves 6-7). Without the 8 leaves at the end of "Omissions from the first Likutei Moharan" and "Errata of the first Likutei Moharan". Fair-good condition. Stains, dampstains. Tears, damage and worming to many leaves, affecting text in several places, mostly professionally restored with paper. Tear to lower margin of title page, affecting text of the foreword on the verso of the leaf, repaired and replaced in photocopy. New, elaborate leather binding.
Extremely scarce!
G. Scholem, Eleh Shemot, p. 28, no. 99 (describes this edition as extremely scarce). The place of printing listed here is according to Scholem, ibid., while A. Rosenthal asserts that the book was printed in Mohilev (Mogilev), see: Where was Sipurei Maasiot by R. N. of Breslov first printed?, Kiryat Sefer, 45 (1970), p. 155.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 437.
According to a testimony of the publisher, R. Natan of Breslov, this book was printed in 1816 (Yemei Moharnat, p. 45b), and not in 1815 – as printed on the two title pages of this book.
This is the first edition of Sipurei Maasiot by R. Nachman of Breslov (Bratslav), published by his foremost disciple Moharnat – R. Natan Sternhartz of Nemirov (Nemyriv), a few years after the passing of R. Nachman.
The tales were printed concurrently in two languages, in the upper part of the pages – in Hebrew, and in the lower part, in Yiddish, following the explicit directive of R. Nachman, as R. Natan related in his foreword to the book (R. Nachman originally narrated the tales in Yiddish, and R. Natan was the one who translated them into Hebrew).
R. Nachman himself ascribed great importance to the tales being printed in Yiddish, designating them a Segula for fertility, stating that it was easily possible that a barren woman who would read in it one tale would thereby merit to bear children (Chayei Moharan, 25).
According to Breslov Chassidic tradition, these stories told by R. Nachman of Breslov contain remarkable and profound Kabbalistic meanings, disguised as tales and parables, as stated in the title page, and as R. Natan asserts in his foreword. He writes further that most of the tales are completely original, conceived by R. Nachman, according to lofty insights he perceived with Divine Inspiration, which he disguised with a tale, also from lofty sources. R. Nachman himself extolled the profundity and holiness of his books, according immeasurable Kabbalistic meanings to each passage of the stories, and describing the tales as extremely remarkable and awe-inspiring novellae, containing exceedingly profound and hidden intent, and fitting to be read in public in the synagogue (foreword of R. Natan). These stories are sacred to Breslov followers and sections are read in the synagogue following the Shabbat morning prayers. Already in this first edition, allusions and secrets revealed by R. Nachman were added in several places, and throughout the generations, the stories were interpreted in multiple, varying ways according to Kabbalah, resulting in extensive literature by leading Breslov followers surrounding these tales. R. Natan considered it a great merit to have been the one to publish this book, asserting that to be eulogized as the one who published Sipurei Maasiot, would be a great praise for him (Siach Sarfei Kodesh, 3, 155).
R. Nachman's Sipurei Maasiot publicized him amongst non Torah-observant crowds, and aroused extensive interest amongst researchers and scholars throughout the world. Sipurei Maasiot was published in dozens of editions, including Breslov and Torah editions, as well as adaptations and translations in various languages.
Bibliographically unknown title page: this copy does not contain the eight leaves with "Omissions from the first Likutei Moharan" and "Errata from the first Likutei Moharan", and instead contains an additional title page, defining the additions at the end of the book as part II. This title page in not listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book nor in various bibliography works (it is listed in Stefansky Chassidut based on this copy). The text of the title page is almost identical to that of the first title page, apart from the words "Part II" printed beside the title "Sipurei Maasiot". Following this leaf are 12 leaves of Sipurei Maasiot (consisting of a biography of R. Nachman of Breslov. This part was later printed separately under the name Shivchei HaRan), and 16 leaves entitled Likutei Moharan (later published separately under the name "Sichot HaRan").
Handwritten correction, presumably by R. Natan of Breslov: A handwritten note appears on p. 114b, containing a correction of a printing error. In the section of ten Psalms of Tikun HaKlali, one of the Psalms was printed as 133 instead of 137. The correction renders it 137. The note is written in a handwriting very similar to that of R. Natan of Breslov, and is probably his handwriting (see Sichot HaRan, entry 141, which mentions this mistake: "…only in the first edition of Sipurei Maasiot was the Psalm 137 erroneously recorded by printing error…).
Signatures in Oriental script (on the title page and leaf 3): "Yaakov Bukaie" (calligraphic signature) (R. Yaakov Bukaie, Rabbi and posek in Beirut, d. 1900, see: LiKedoshim Asher BaAretz, section 28). Signatures of "Shmuel Mursiya" (R. Shmuel Mursiya, a rabbi of Allepo, see: LiKedoshim Asher BaAretz, section 284), and of his son "the young David Mursiya".
114; 12; 16 leaves. Leaf 8 of the first pagination was bound out of sequence (between leaves 6-7). Without the 8 leaves at the end of "Omissions from the first Likutei Moharan" and "Errata of the first Likutei Moharan". Fair-good condition. Stains, dampstains. Tears, damage and worming to many leaves, affecting text in several places, mostly professionally restored with paper. Tear to lower margin of title page, affecting text of the foreword on the verso of the leaf, repaired and replaced in photocopy. New, elaborate leather binding.
Extremely scarce!
G. Scholem, Eleh Shemot, p. 28, no. 99 (describes this edition as extremely scarce). The place of printing listed here is according to Scholem, ibid., while A. Rosenthal asserts that the book was printed in Mohilev (Mogilev), see: Where was Sipurei Maasiot by R. N. of Breslov first printed?, Kiryat Sefer, 45 (1970), p. 155.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 437.
According to a testimony of the publisher, R. Natan of Breslov, this book was printed in 1816 (Yemei Moharnat, p. 45b), and not in 1815 – as printed on the two title pages of this book.
Category
Books of Breslov Chassidism - Early and Rare Editions
Catalogue
Auction 63 - Rare and Important Items
November 13, 2018
Opening: $10,000
Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000
Unsold
Likutei Etzot, Parts 1-2, "Segulot and cures for soul and body", teachings of R. Nachman of Breslov, edited by his disciple R. Natan Sternhartz, the Moharnat of Breslov. [Dubno? 1816]. First edition.
A basic text of the teachings of R. Nachman of Breslov. A compilation of advice and short passages of guidance, arranged according to topics in alphabetical order. Written on the title page: "Wonderful advice, imparting knowledge to the simple, straightening crookedness of the heart, to know which way to go to flee the counsel of the Evil Inclination. Segulot and cures for curing the soul and the body so it leans to revival, Amen". The book was composed by the close disciple of R. Nachman of Breslov and the disseminator of his teachings, R. Natan Sternhartz of Breslov who assembled advice and practical guidance from the teachings and deep discourses of R. Nachman of Breslov printing them in his book Likutei Moharan, thereby fulfilling the testament of his teacher who said that his entire intention in revealing his writings and teachings was to lead people to proper and virtuous deeds.
The book was printed by R. Natan himself and cherished by him as attested by R. Yisrael Halpern (Karduner) in his introduction to Kitzur Likutei Moharan HaShalem: "This book was greatly treasured by our teacher R. Natan and he instructed all his followers to study it each day".
The book is divided into two parts. Part 1, letters Aleph-Mem. Part 2, with a separate title page, letters Mem-Taf.
58, [30] leaves. 16.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, dampstains. Wear and tears, particularly to margins, repaired with paper. Few loose leaves. Stamps. New, elegant leather binding.
Place of printing according to G. Scholem, Ele Shemot, Jerusalem 1928, p. 16, no. 44.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 289.
A basic text of the teachings of R. Nachman of Breslov. A compilation of advice and short passages of guidance, arranged according to topics in alphabetical order. Written on the title page: "Wonderful advice, imparting knowledge to the simple, straightening crookedness of the heart, to know which way to go to flee the counsel of the Evil Inclination. Segulot and cures for curing the soul and the body so it leans to revival, Amen". The book was composed by the close disciple of R. Nachman of Breslov and the disseminator of his teachings, R. Natan Sternhartz of Breslov who assembled advice and practical guidance from the teachings and deep discourses of R. Nachman of Breslov printing them in his book Likutei Moharan, thereby fulfilling the testament of his teacher who said that his entire intention in revealing his writings and teachings was to lead people to proper and virtuous deeds.
The book was printed by R. Natan himself and cherished by him as attested by R. Yisrael Halpern (Karduner) in his introduction to Kitzur Likutei Moharan HaShalem: "This book was greatly treasured by our teacher R. Natan and he instructed all his followers to study it each day".
The book is divided into two parts. Part 1, letters Aleph-Mem. Part 2, with a separate title page, letters Mem-Taf.
58, [30] leaves. 16.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, dampstains. Wear and tears, particularly to margins, repaired with paper. Few loose leaves. Stamps. New, elegant leather binding.
Place of printing according to G. Scholem, Ele Shemot, Jerusalem 1928, p. 16, no. 44.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 289.
Category
Books of Breslov Chassidism - Early and Rare Editions
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