Divrei Menachem – commentaries on various midrashim by the Admo”r Rabbi Menachem Nachum Friedman (II). Krakow, 1913.
The Admo”r discusses topics such as reward and punishment, good and evil, free choice, the reasons for mitzvahs and more. There were Admo”rs who disputed this book and its author.
Rabbi Menachem Nachum Friedman [1879-1933] was the rabbi of the Itzkan community. He was a nephew of Rabbi Avraham Matityahu Friedman, the final Admo”r of Shtefanesht, and he was designated to inherit this position, and brother of Rabbi Aharon Matityahu Friedman. He was born in 1879 in Shtefanesht to the Admo”r Avraham Yehoshua Heschel Friedman of Arzad and BatSheva of the Friedman family, daughter of Rabbi Menachem Nachum Friedman of Shtefanesht. He was descended from Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin through both of his parents. He was raised in Bohosh, in the home of his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Friedman of Bohosh. He married Miriam, daughter of Rabbi Yisrael Friedman of Chortkov, who was also a great-grandchild of Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin. As mentioned, his uncle, Avraham Matityahu Friedman, the Admo”r of Shtefanesht, had no children and took Menachem Nachum under his wing and even wanted to appoint him his successor. He did indeed function as an unofficial Admo”r during his uncle’s lifetime. Regretfully, he became ill with a harsh disease. His condition deteriorated in 1933 and he went to a convalescent home near Vilna, where he passed away. One month later, his uncle passed away, and thus ended the Shtefanesht Chassidic dynasty.
[2] 93, [2] leaves. 23 cm. Quality paper. Fine condition. Isolated worming perforations in the white margins of the first leaves.
First edition of Sefer HaYetzirah on kabbalistic doctrine published in English. Original binding with gilt imprint: Sepher Yezirah. Bound together with A Sketch of the Talmud. New York, 1877. 45, 48 pages, 19 cm. Hebrew-English. Very fine condition. High-quality leaves, gilt leaf margins.
* Mei Be’er Yeshayahu – tales of wonders by R’ Yeshayaleh of Kerestirer. First edition. Tarno, 1928. “History of his life, his activities and his ways, and wondrous tales of his holy words, his loving kindness to the poor and downtrodden … by the rabbi, the luminary, Rabbi Yeshayahleh of Kerestirer.” * Reishit Chochmah HaKatzar – abbreviation of the Rama”k’s Reishit Chochmah by his disciple Rabbi Eliyahu di Vidash. Amsterdam, 1725. Lengthy owner’s notation on the title page. * Shevet Mishor, mussar and rebuke by Rabbi Yitzchak Parchi. Belgrade, 1738. * Machberet Shirei HaBechinah mussar poems by Mordechai Lowenstam, Breslau, 1732, “Including 38 poems of arousing rebuke.” Overall fine condition.
Kol Aryeh – Chassidism on Torah, Na”ch, Sha”s and compilations by Rabbi Aryeh Leib ‘HaMochiach MiPolona.’ Chernowitz, 1862. Before us is a Chassidic book authored by one of the first disciples of the Ba’al Shem Tov. Second edition. With approbations that appeared in the first edition. Owner’s signature of Rabbi Chaim Elazar Alter, son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Alter, younger son of the Sefat Emet, and brother of the Imrei Emet of Gur. Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Galiner b”r Yechiel Michel of Polona [?- 21 Tevet 1870], known as “HaMochiach M’Polona” was one of the first disciples of the Ba’al Shem Tov and one of the major disseminators of his methods. His year of birth is unknown. Before he drew close to the Ba’al Shem Tov, he served as maggid and cantor in Polona. When he drew close to the Ba’al Shem Tov, he was sent by him to travel amongst the Jewish communities and realize his talent for sermonizing to make a name for the Chassidic movement, thus earning the moniker “HaMochiach.” Indeed, his sermons evoked many echos, and with his influence, the author of Toldot Ya’akov Yosef drew close to Chassidism, and one tradition maintains that this applies to Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch as well. He passed away in Polona and was buried there. 12 years later, R’ Ya’akov Yosef of Polona was buried beside him, and an ohel was built over their graves. R’ Ya’akov Yosef of Polona would regularly cite him in his book, Toldot Ya’akov Yosef. [2], 106, 111-130 leaves, 17 cm. Fine condition. Aging stains. Simple binding.
Shnot Chaim – elucidations on the testimonial oath by the wondrous gaon Rabbi Chaim Milikowsky, father of the Admo”r of Amshinov, shlit”a. Rare stencil copy printed in Shanghai during the world war. Before us is a remnant of the treasure trove of Torah novellae innovated by the wondrous gaon Rabbi Chaim Milikowsky (see more about him below). During WWII, when he was a 30-year-old youth, he was exiled to Shanghai, Japan, together with the students of the Mir yeshivah. He took nothing with him except for a wooden box which contained booklets of his Torah novellae, innovated by him with tremendous toil and great effort. He protected this box, which was his precious treasure. One of the gentiles in Japan, who saw how carefully this box was being protected, thought it contained a lot of money. He lay in wait for an opportunity, and stole the box. Since then, despite much searching, it has never been found. Rabbi Chaim’s anguish over this caused him to fall ill, and he was unable to eat for a long time. There are those who maintain that he never fully recovered. Rabbi Chaim Milikowsky [1916-1993] studied in Slonim and then at the Mir yeshivah; he was one of the elite students there. He was exiled with his yeshivah in Shanghai during the War. While there, the tzaddik the Rasha”sh of Amshinov chose him as a bridegroom for his granddaughter, Mrs. Chayah Nechamah, daughter of his son R’ Meir’l. This couple merited a son who is a holy tzaddik, illuminating the eyes of the Jewish people, the Admo”r of Amshinov, shlit”a. When the match became known to the Chassidic young men there (some of the students from the Chassidic Chachmei Lublin yeshivah were exiled to Shanghai), they were upset, and they turned with astonishment to R’ Meir’l to ask how he could take this bridegroom for his daughter, who shaves his beard like most of the rest of the Mir yeshivah students; why is he not taking a bridegroom who conducts himself with Chassidic customs? R’ Meir’l cleverly responded: “A beard can be grown by this bridegroom within a short time, but not so becoming as knowledgeable in Sha”s as he is.” Rabbi Chaim was a tremendous Talmudic scholar, who suffered much. He served as the rosh yeshivah of Reishit Chochmah in New York, and then as rosh yeshivah of Amshinov in Jerusalem. 48 pp. 26 cm; fine condition. Brittle paper. Detached title page with tiny tears in the margins without damage to text. Original binding.
Tikkunei HaZohar, printed in Livorno at Shlomo Belforte and Associate’s printing press. [1] 164 leaves, 23 cm. Fine-very fine condition, minimal blemishes and aging stains.
