Decorated manuscript, Likutim Nechmadim – Chassidic essays following the order of the Torah portions, by R. Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, produced by "the scribe Yeshayahu Mordechai son of Yosef". Sadigura, 1869.
Impressive, beautiful manuscript produced in Sadigura, and gifted to Rebbe Nachum Dov Ber Friedman of Sadigura (presumably prepared especially for him). His signature appears on the front endpaper: "This book belongs to Nachum Dov Ber Friedman". Two of his stamps on the second leaf, one with his name, with a lion-emblem in the center, and another one reading "Minchat Shai". Bookplate inside front board, reading: "Library of Rebbe Nachum Dov Friedman of Sadigura".
The manuscript opens with two decorated leaves, in color: the first is a title page set in a floral border, with two columns topped by a medallion and a pair of peacocks. The title page states the name of the book – Likutim Nechmadim, the name of the author – R. Menachem Mendel son of R. Moshe of Tiberias, the name of the scribe – Yeshayahu Mordechai son of Yosef, and the place and date the manuscript was scribed – Sadigura, 1869.
The second leaf states: "This book Likutim Nechmadim belongs to… 1869, Sadigura". The book title is set in a decorative panel, with a vase of flowers beneath it containing an empty medallion, presumably for inscribing the name of the owner (this medallion was stamped "Minchat Shai").
The entire manuscript is written in neat, calligraphic Rashi script. Tailpiece in color on p. 67.
On the penultimate page, table of planetary hours. The final page is framed in a colored border, and contains a poem by the scribe (forming an acrostic of his name), signed: "Yeshayahu Mordechai son of Fruma for salvation…".
The present manuscript contains essays by R. Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, which are not included in his book Pri HaAretz (Kopust, 1814). The contents of the present manuscript were later published in Zhitomir in 1874, under the title "Pri Etz", from a copying which was in the possession of Rebbe Aharon of Chernobyl (the title page there states: "Copied word for word from a manuscript in the possession of R. Aharon of Chernobyl… which he received as a gift from Jerusalem").
A printed leaf was bound at the beginning of the manuscript, after the two decorated leaves, with the will of R. Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, from the aforementioned Zhitomir edition.
Rebbe Nachum Dov Ber Friedman of Sadigura (d. 1883), grandson of Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin. He was the son of R. Shalom Yosef and son-in-law of Rebbe Avraham Yaakov of Sadigura. R. Nachum Dov Ber was a prominent collector of early manuscripts and books, and possessed a large library (see: David Assaf, Derech Malchut, p. 454, footnote 34; R. Zusha Dinkeles, Library of R. Nachum Bernyu, MiBeinei Amudei, Betar 2017, pp. 419-439). R. Nachum Dov used several types of stamps in his library. Books he inherited from his father were stamped "Nachalat Avotai", books acquired with his money were stamped "Kinyan Kaspi" and books received as a gift (such as the present book) were stamped "Minchat Shai".

[3] leaves; 2-67, 2 pages. 18.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor marginal tear to one leaf, repaired with acidic tape (several minor tears to endpapers). Stamps: "F.T. Dent Collection, London". Original binding, red velvet with gilt decorations (binding partially detached; wear and blemishes to binding).

The manuscript appears in the exhibition catalog "BeIkvot HaBaal Shem Tov" – exhibition of the National Library in honor of the 250th anniversary of the passing of the Baal Shem Tov and the 200th anniversary of the passing of R. Nachman of Breslov, Jerusalem, 2010-2011, p. 79, no. 74.
Reference: Batsheva Goldman Ida, Hasidic Art and the Kabbalah, Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2018. The present manuscript is photographed on p. 70.
Provenance:
The manuscript was offered at auction in 1927, in a special auction of books and manuscripts from the library of R. Nachum Dov Ber. It is listed in the auction catalog (catalog no. 9; typewritten and mimeographed), lot 48, where it is described: "Beautiful manuscript in Rashi script, copied in Sadigura by Yeshaya Mordechai son of Yosef for the famous book collector R. Nachum Dov Friedman".
Formerly Library of Mossad HaRav Kook Ms. 137 (old number – Ms. 215); listed by Naftali ben Menachem in Manuscripts from the Library of Rabbi Nahum Dov-Ber Friedman, Areshet I (1959), pp. 403-404, no. 9.
The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, EE.011.019.