Seder Tefillah with Torah Or and Shaar HaKolel, according to the Arizal Nusach. Vilna: Widow and Brothers Romm, 1896. 

First edition of Shaar HaKolel. Two parts in one volume. Two title pages to Torah Or and two title pages to Shaar HaKolel; first title page printed in red and black.

Siddur Torah Or is considered to be the most accurate and reliable version of Siddur HaRav – the Baal HaTanya's Siddur. Siddur Torah Or was compiled and revised by Rabbi Avraham David Lavut, Rabbi of Nikolayev, who added his own compositions Shaar HaKolel and Netiv HaChayim. At the head of Torah Or appears an approbation of Rabbi Yehuda Leib of Janowitz, brother of the Baal HaTanya, to the Kopust 1823 edition. With the Rabbi Avraham David Lavut's renowned foreword written for his work Shaar HaKolel.

* Part I (Torah Or): [4], 187, [1] ff. * Part II (Shaar HaKolel and Netiv HaChayim): [2], 3-49, 49-80, 82-89, 89-96; 77 ff.

21.5 cm. Good condition. Stains and browning. Tears and minor wear. Adhesive tape to one leaf for reinforcement. New binding.

Levin, List of Publications of the Torah Or Siddur , V-VI; Oberlaender, HaSiddur, 98, page 337 (pagination in the present copy differs both from Levin and from Oberlaender).

Siddur Torah Or

The Siddur compiled by the Alter Rebbe R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi - Siddur HaRav, was printed during his lifetime in several editions, in Shklow and Kopust. From the passing of the Baal HaTanya, until 1886, the Siddur was reprinted in dozens of editions. In many of the editions, the printers were not particular to preserve the accurate text of the prayers and laws, and in some editions, they combined the text of Siddur HaRav with texts of other prevalent Siddurim.

In the 1880s, R. Avraham David Lavut, Rabbi of Nikolayev (Mykolaiv; maternal grandfather of the Lubavitcher Rebbe), began studying and researching the original text of Siddur HaRav. To that end, he searched for editions of the Siddur published in the lifetime of the Baal HaTanya. Upon finding such a Siddur, he set to work proofreading and correcting the text of Siddur HaRav, according to the siddur he found. In 1886 he printed the Siddur HaRav in Vilna under a new title – "Siddur Torah Or" (item 51).

However, immediately after the first version of the Siddur was published, R. Lavut obtained another edition of Siddur HaRav, published in the lifetime of the Baal HaTanya, which contained some variations. In light of this, R. Lavut produced a new, corrected edition of Siddur Torah Or – the Vilna 1889 edition (Item 52).

Yet the same occurred once again. As soon as the 1889 edition was published, R. Lavut obtained a third siddur edition published in the lifetime of the Baal HaTanya, and began preparing a third, updated edition of Siddur Torah Or. This third edition was only published after the passing of R. Lavut (Adar 1890), in Vilna 1896, and it includes the latter's illustrious work – Shaar HaColel.

The Siddur, published by R. Lavut, was supplemented by two of his own compositions: "Shaar HaKollel" (later enlarged edition of "Shaarei Hatefillah"), focusing on the sources, versions, traditions and customs, upon which the Alter Rebbe based his Siddur, and "Netiv HaChayim", which compares between contradicting rulings in "Derech HaChayim" by the Gaon of Lissa, and the Alter Rebbe's Siddur and Shulchan Aruch.