Bidspirit auction | Signatures of the holy Rebbi

Signatures of the holy Rebbi David Halberstam of Kshanov and his son-in-law, the holy Rebbi Elazar Weissblum of Rzeszów. - Sefer Zikaron Aharon – Kuntres HaChazakot, by the renowned gaon Rabbi Elazar Low, author of Shemen Rokeach. First Edition, Lemberg, 1834. On the flyleaf is the signature of the holy Rebbi David Halberstam of Kshanov: “David Halberstam, Av Beit Din of Kshanov and the district.” Above it, in another handwriting, is written: “ This sefer Zikaron belongs to the sharp and famous rabbi… kaddisha, chassida, perishah, from a chain of noble lineage.” Also his name in Latin letters. On the flyleaf is the signature of his son-in-law, the holy Rebbi Elazar Weissblum of Rzeszów, universally known as 'Rebbi Elazar Reisher': “Hakatan Elazar Weissblum of Kshanov, ” and above it he also inscribed the name of his holy father-in-law. It seems this is the only known sefer with his exceedingly rare autograph! The Holy Rebbi David Halberstam of Kshanov (Chrzanów) was born to his father, the holy Rebbi Chaim of Sanz, known as the Divrei Chaim, in 1821 (or 1818), when his father resided in Rudnik. He was the second son from his father's first marriage. He was considered a great genius and a holy man, a towering scholar in both Torah and divine service. He was a disciple of his father as well as of the holy Rebbi Tzvi Hirsch of Rimanov and Rebbi Yissachar Ber of Radoszyce. In his first marriage, he wed Rebbetzin Aksha Gitel, the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Ze’ev of Tarnogród. Above his father-in-law’s seat was a golden plaque recording his lineage, as he was a sixth-generation descendant of Aksha, the daughter of the Arizal, who had come from Eretz Yisrael to Poland. After the birth of two sons, his first wife passed away. He later married Rebbetzin Leah Zisel of the Tzintz family, the granddaughter of the author of Yad HaKetana. He studied with immense diligence, to the extent that people would say he studied 25 hours a day! He had a unique practice: if he woke up from sleep, even if he had slept only half an hour after lying down, he would not return to sleep that night. Instead, he would rise with enthusiasm for the service of the Creator and Torah study. In his old age, he instructed that when he needed to attend a wedding—even that of his own descendants—he should be called only when everything was ready so that he would not have to wait and waste time. On one occasion, when he was summoned a little early to a grandson’s wedding and had to wait, he sighed and said: ”How great is the pain of raising children, that it has caused me to be idle from Torah study.” He lived with the utmost simplicity and detachment from worldly pleasures, to the point that he did not even chew his food. At the end of the sefer Divrei Chana, his grandson, the holy Rebbi of Kalushitz, records that after the passing of his father, the Divrei Chaim, the Rebbi of Kashow said: ”The greatest among the brothers is my brother from Stropkov (Shinova), but thank God, our father left me with a white beard.” His intention was that since he was already 58 years old at the time, he was not obligated to travel to his brother. From 1851, he served as the rabbi of Kshanov, and from 1876, he began to serve as a Chassidic rebbe. He passed away on the 25th of Elul, 1894. His Descendants: From his first marriage: 1) His son, Rebbi Yosef Ze’ev, dayan of Kshanov. 2) His son, Rebbi Aryeh Leibush, rabbi of Dukla. From his second marriage: 3) His son, Rabbi Moshe of Kshanov. 4) His son, Rabbi Naftali of Kshanov. 5) His daughter Breindel, wife of Rebbi Elazar of Rzeszów.  6) His daughter Miriam, wife of Rabbi Yechiel Horowitz of Pokshovnitz. 7) His daughter Hinda, wife of Rabbi Moshe Yosef Teitelbaum, rabbi of Uhel. 8) His daughter Nechama, wife of Rabbi Shalom Shapira of Przysucha. 9) His daughter Sarah Gitel, wife of Rabbi Shimon Alter Frenkel-Teomim, rabbi of Podgórze. His son-in-law, the holy Rebbi Elazar (Weissblum) Reisher (1838–1910), was the only son of the holy Rebbi Elimelech of Rudnik, son of the holy Rebbi Menachem Issachar of Peshvarsk, son of the holy Rebbi Elazar of Lizhensk, son of the holy Rebbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, author of Noam Elimelech. In childhood he lost his father and for about a year was raised by the holy Rebbi David of Dinov. Afterwards the holy Rebbi Chaim of Sanz took him into his home, raised him as a son, and married him to his granddaughter, the daughter of his son the holy Rebbi David of Kshanov . In a second marriage he became the son-in-law of Rabbi Chaim Yonah Halperin, Av Beit Din of Rzeszów. In 1876 he was appointed rabbi of Bukowsko, and apparently due to a dispute, in 1878 he moved to Peshvarsk, later settling permanently in Rzeszów. He became known as a wondrous gaon in both revealed and hidden Torah. His saintly conduct, abundance of prayers and immersions drew to him thousands of chassidim from Poland and Hungary. He slept no more than two or three hours a night.