Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Sipurei Maasiot by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov – Variant of the "Sipam" Edition – Lviv, 1850 – Segulah for Fertility
Opening: $700
Sold for: $875
Including buyer's premium
Sipurei Maasiot, "That which we have merited hearing from our holy rabbi, the hidden light, R. Nachman", tales related by R. Nachman of Breslov, recorded by his disciple R. Natan of Breslov. [Lviv? 1850?].
Bilingual edition; Hebrew (at the top of the page) and Yiddish (at the bottom of the page).
This edition is known as "Sipam", since the title of the book – Sefer Sipurei Maasiot – is printed on the title page in acronym: Sefer Sipam. In this variant, however, the title page bears the full title: Sefer Sipurei Maasiot.
Shivchei HaRan and Sichot HaRan were added to this edition, with a divisional title page entitled Maggid Sichot (lacking in the present copy).
The first edition of Sipurei Maasiot was printed by R. Natan of Breslov in 1815 or 1816, in Ostroh or Mohyliv. In that edition, the tales were printed in two languages: in Hebrew (at the top of the page) and in Yiddish (at the bottom of the page), following the explicit directives of R. Nachman of Breslov, as described by R. Natan in his introduction to the book: "Once, he disclosed that he wants to publish a book of tales, and said to a group of people: I intend to print a book of tales, in the Holy Tongue on top and in Yiddish below" (R. Nachman originally told these tales in Yiddish and R. Natan translated them into Hebrew). The second known edition – the present edition, was also a bilingual edition, and it was apparently prepared for print by R. Natan (who added a second foreword). However, it was only printed after his death (in 1845), by one of his disciples in Lviv, ca. 1850.
R. Nachman described the lofty profundity and holiness of his stories: "Each thought of these stories has esoteric intent… and [the stories] are intensely amazing and awesome and have superlative hidden profundity. They are fitting to be told and explained publicly in synagogues" (cited from the introduction of R. Natan to Sipurei Maasiot). These stories are sacred to Breslov Chassidim and after the Shabbat morning prayers, sections are read in public. Throughout the generations, the stories have been explained in multiple ways with kabbalistic interpretations producing extensive literature by Breslov Chassidim about Sipurei Maasiot.?R. Nachman also said that these tales can serve as a segulah for fertility: "His will was that these stories be printed in our spoken language, Yiddish, and he said then that it is likely that a barren woman will read a story and hence merit bearing children" (Chayei Moharan, 25).
[1], 62, [1]; 34 leaves. Lacking two leaves: Title page of Maggid Sichot, and last leaf of the book. 23.5 cm. Fair-poor condition. Open tears and worming to title page and all other leaves, with significant damage to text. Several leaves with particularly large open tears. All leaves professionally restored. New binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 436.
A variant with the full title (just like the present copy) is recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book. See also: Naftali Ben Menachem, Pitchei She'arim, Jerusalem 1976, p. 249.
Bilingual edition; Hebrew (at the top of the page) and Yiddish (at the bottom of the page).
This edition is known as "Sipam", since the title of the book – Sefer Sipurei Maasiot – is printed on the title page in acronym: Sefer Sipam. In this variant, however, the title page bears the full title: Sefer Sipurei Maasiot.
Shivchei HaRan and Sichot HaRan were added to this edition, with a divisional title page entitled Maggid Sichot (lacking in the present copy).
The first edition of Sipurei Maasiot was printed by R. Natan of Breslov in 1815 or 1816, in Ostroh or Mohyliv. In that edition, the tales were printed in two languages: in Hebrew (at the top of the page) and in Yiddish (at the bottom of the page), following the explicit directives of R. Nachman of Breslov, as described by R. Natan in his introduction to the book: "Once, he disclosed that he wants to publish a book of tales, and said to a group of people: I intend to print a book of tales, in the Holy Tongue on top and in Yiddish below" (R. Nachman originally told these tales in Yiddish and R. Natan translated them into Hebrew). The second known edition – the present edition, was also a bilingual edition, and it was apparently prepared for print by R. Natan (who added a second foreword). However, it was only printed after his death (in 1845), by one of his disciples in Lviv, ca. 1850.
R. Nachman described the lofty profundity and holiness of his stories: "Each thought of these stories has esoteric intent… and [the stories] are intensely amazing and awesome and have superlative hidden profundity. They are fitting to be told and explained publicly in synagogues" (cited from the introduction of R. Natan to Sipurei Maasiot). These stories are sacred to Breslov Chassidim and after the Shabbat morning prayers, sections are read in public. Throughout the generations, the stories have been explained in multiple ways with kabbalistic interpretations producing extensive literature by Breslov Chassidim about Sipurei Maasiot.?R. Nachman also said that these tales can serve as a segulah for fertility: "His will was that these stories be printed in our spoken language, Yiddish, and he said then that it is likely that a barren woman will read a story and hence merit bearing children" (Chayei Moharan, 25).
[1], 62, [1]; 34 leaves. Lacking two leaves: Title page of Maggid Sichot, and last leaf of the book. 23.5 cm. Fair-poor condition. Open tears and worming to title page and all other leaves, with significant damage to text. Several leaves with particularly large open tears. All leaves professionally restored. New binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 436.
A variant with the full title (just like the present copy) is recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book. See also: Naftali Ben Menachem, Pitchei She'arim, Jerusalem 1976, p. 249.
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Chassidic Books