Three Chassidic books printed in Livorno in 1804-1821, by R. Yisrael Nachman of Drohobych and Safed.
1. Pekudat HaMelech, two parts, on the Rambam, on the Torah and various selections, by R. Yisrael Nachman of Drohobych. Livorno, 1804. First edition.
2. Kohelet with the Chemdat Yisrael commentary, by R. Yisrael Nachman of Drohobych. Livorno, 1820. First edition. The author includes things he heard on his travels in various countries. He cites teachings he heard from R. Simcha Rabbi of Brisk and from a teacher of young children in Egypt, and describes his visits to the Haleb communities in Aleppo, Izmir and Salonika. This book was printed upon his arrival in Livorno to collect funds, and he requests that the donors grant him a permanent "Maamad" (status), to enable him to study Torah in Safed without further wanderings.
3. Eshed HaNechalim, novellae on the teachings of the Magen Avraham and the Taz (Turei Zahav) on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, and samples of responsa from the book Ne'ot Deshe, by the author of Arvei Nachal, Rebbe David Shlomo Eybeschutz, Rabbi of Soroca and one of the leading Torah scholars of Safed. Livorno, [1821]. The book was published anonymously. In the foreword of the publisher, R. Yisrael Nachman of Drohobych, author of Chemdat Yisrael, he writes that he knows the author from their youth in Poland and that after their immigration to Safed they studied together. He writes further that he feels obligated to praise the author and recount his greatness, but the author does not allow him to mention his name in his compositions.
R. Yisrael Nachman of Drohobych, son of R. Yosef of Drohobych (disciple of the Baal Shem Tov), was a rabbi in Galicia, Poland and Hungary. He visited many countries. On his way to Eretz Israel in 1804, he stopped in Livorno and became friendly with the Chida. R. Yisrael Nachman told him about the Baal Shem Tov and the Chassidic movement, as related to him by his father R. Yosef, who was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov. The Chida later cited these accounts in his books. In 1820, R. Yisrael Nachman printed the book Chemdat Yisrael in Livorno, and in 1821, he printed the book Eshed HaNechalim, also in Livorno. Whilst in Italy, R. Yisrael Nachman made a great impression, and R. Mordechai Shmuel Ghirondi attests that R. Yisrael Nachman answered all questions posed to him in both the revealed and hidden realms of Torah, showing great proficiency in all areas of the Talmud and poskim. Before his death, R. Yisrael Nachman returned to Eretz Israel, settling in Safed where he passed away after 1821 (see: Yeshurun, I, pp. 493-501; Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, II, pp. 601-602).
3 books. Size and condition vary. New bindings.
The book Chemdat Yisrael contains the four rare leaves (59-62), which were added after printing to only some copies.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 476; no. 225; no. 70.
Of the few Chassidic books printed in Livorno (very few Chassidic books were printed in the Orient and Balkans, Greece and Livorno; only four Chassidic books were printed in Livorno, all by R. Yisrael Nachman of Drohobych, and three of them compose this lot).