Handwriting & Signature of the Holy Rebbe Moshe Hager of Radovitz – Teshou’ot Chen, First Edition, Berdichev 1816 – ...

Handwriting & Signature of the Holy Rebbe Moshe Hager of Radovitz – Teshou’ot Chen, First Edition, Berdichev 1816 – and other Seforim from his library.

1. Sefer Tifta Arukh, Marganita Deleit La Timay by the kabbalist and poet Rabbi Moshe Zacuto – Sacred poems on the purpose of man in this world, the Day of Judgment, the exaltedness of the soul, reward and punishment, the value of wisdom, inspiration for repentance, and moral accounting – with a surrounding commentary on the words and meanings by the kabbalist Rabbi Aviad Sar Shalom Basila.

Bound together with Eden Arukh, a poem about the Garden of Eden in 277 stanzas, by Rabbi Yaakov Daniel Olmo, rabbi of Ferrara and disciple of Rabbi Yitzchak Lampronti, author of Pachad Yitzchak.

Venice, 1743. First Edition of Eden Arukh. Each work with a separate title page.

Various stamps of the holy Rebbe Moshe Hager of Radovitz, including a rare stamp: “Moshe Hakatan, from the Holy City of Haifa, may it be rebuilt and reestablished.”

[2], 13, [3], 25, [1] Leaves. 22.7 cm.

Overall Fair Condition, some stains, many pages have marginal tears sometimes affecting text, couple pages loose, old binding damaged, lacking spine and front cover.

2. Sefer Teshou’ot Chen, by the holy Rebbi Gedaliah of Linits, disciple of the Baal Shem Tov – Wonderful, pleasant, and sweet Torah novellae, “as bright and shining as the midday sun… composed by our master and teacher, the famed, holy and pure luminary, Rebbi Gedaliah son of Rebbi Yitzchak ztz”l, whose Torah radiated in the communities of Miropolia and Ostropolia, and in his later years established his tent of Torah in Linits.”

First Edition. Berdichev, 1816. With approbations from the “defender of Israel, ” the holy Rebbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, and his son, the holy Rebbi Yisrael of Pikov.

On the title page are stamps of the holy Rebbe Moshe Hager of Radovitz and his son, the Rebbe Yisrael Hager of Radovitz.

On the flyleaf – handwritten inscription and signature of the holy Rebbi Moshe Hager of Radovitz, written during the lifetime of his holy father, Rebbi Alter Yosef of Radovitz.

Stefansky Chassidut no. 641.

[5], 45 leaves. The omission leaves are bound after the title page instead of at the end. 19.5 cm.

Overall Good - Fair Condition, some stains, pages 36-42 have repairs with missing text, old binding damaged, lacking spine and front cover.

3. Sefer Seder HaYom – Apparently one of the Zolkiew printings.

Copy from the library of the holy Rebbe Moshe Hager of Radovitz. Ownership inscription: “This sefer Seder HaYom belongs to the honored Rabbi Moshe shlita, son of the honorable Rabbi Yosef Alter.”

With stamps from his beit midrash in Radovitz and notation: “Belongs to the beit midrash of the holy rebbi, may he live.”

Signatures of his sons in childhood: Yisrael Hager, Zeide Hager.

67 leaves. Lacking title page. 20.8 cm.

Overall Good Condition, few stains, lacking title page, old binding damaged, front cover detached.

4. Sefer Midrash Eliyahu – “Eleven discourses explaining the greatness and praise of the passing of the righteous and pious, ” by Rabbi Eliyahu HaCohen of Izmir, author of Shevet Mussar.

Czernowitz, 1860. Printed by Johann Eckhardt und Sohn. With approbation from the holy Rebbi Avraham Yaakov of Sadigura.

100 leaves. 23.7 cm.

Various stamps of the holy Rebbi Moshe Hager of Radovitz.

Overall Good Condition, few stains, old binding damaged.

5. Sefer Avodat Yisrael by the Maggid of Kozhnitz – Lemberg, 1864.

On the title page, stamps of the holy Rebbi Moshe Hager of Radovitz.

[4], 72 leaves. 23.7 cm.

Overall Good Condition, few stains, pages 13-16 have marginal tears with missing text, old binding damaged.

The holy Rebbe Moshe Hager of Radovitz (Rădăuți, Radautz) (1840–1902), author of Vayikach Moshe. He was the son of the Rebbe of Radovitz, the holy Yosef Alter Hager (1820–1879), who was the second son of the holy Rebbi Chaim of Kosov and son-in-law of the son of the holy Rebbi Moshe Zvi of Savran.

In 1873, his father, the Rebbe, immigrated to the holy city of Safed and appointed him as his successor in the city of Radovitz. However, he transferred the leadership to his son, Rebbi Yisrael, and went up to join his father in Safed. He first lived in Haifa, but being isolated and without suitable company, after a year and a half he moved to Safed and led his Chassidic court in his father’s beit midrash.

The people of Haifa sent him an emotional letter urging him to return to live there, since “from the time you left us, we have known neither Shabbat nor Torah.” He passed away in 1902 and was buried in the ancient Jewish cemetery in Safed, near the grave of the Arizal.

Rebbi Moshe recorded his teachings in the sefer Vayikach Moshe, which also includes about 70 Torah discourses from his father, the holy Rebbi Yosef Alter. He therefore named the sefer after the verse, “And Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him” (Exodus 13:19). The work was printed by his son, Rebbi Yisrael of Radovitz, in Munkács, 1907.

His eldest son, the righteous Rabbi Zeide Chaim Hager, married the daughter of the holy Rebbe, author of Or LaMeir of Bukowsko [son of the Tzemach David of Dinov, son of the Bnei Yissaschar], who was the son-in-law of the holy Rebbi Alter Yosef of Radovitz. He passed away during his father’s lifetime, on the eve of Yom Kippur 1901. Their daughter, the Rebbetzin Leah, married (in his first marriage) the righteous Rabbi Elazar Shapira of Kiviasd, and passed away at a young age on 26 Adar 1911.

His second son, the Rebbe Yisrael Hager (1876–1940), succeeded him as Rebbe of Radovitz. In 1913 he emigrated to the United States, where he established a beit midrash in Manhattan, on the famous Wall Street. He founded the Torat Chaim yeshivah and inspired American Jews to observe the mitzvot. In 1919 he established an orphanage in Safed and supported it financially. He also assisted Rebbi Yisrael Hager of Vizhnitz in raising funds for the residents of Eretz Yisrael. (See also: Encyclopedia of Chassidut, vol. 2, p. 541).