Bidspirit auction | Siddur Kol Yaakov Personal Siddur

Siddur Kol Yaakov Personal Siddur of the Imrei Yosef of Spinka With Additions in His Own Handwriting Slavita, 1804 * Siddur Ha’Ari - Kol Yaakov includes prayers for weekdays, Shabbos and holidays, along with Sefiras HaOmer and the Pesach Haggadah. It incorporates intentions and customs grounded in the teachings of the Ari. This compilation was created by the revered Kabbalist, Rabbi Yaakov Kapil Lifshitz of Mezritch. This holy siddur is the very one from which the holy Admor Rabbi Meir Yosef Weiss of Spinka, author of Imrei Yosef, poured out his heart in prayer, infused with lofty kavanos (mystical intentions). The siddur bears the Rebbe’s personal stamp, and includes pages completed in his sacred handwriting, along with Kabbalistic glosses and textual corrections penned by the Rebbe himself.  The frequent use of the siddur is evident in almost every page, with noticeable rubbing along the margins, stains and signs of wear. At the beginning of the siddur is a preliminary title page, framed by an illustrated border in handwriting, upon which there is the personal stamp of the Rebbe, the Imrei Yosef This holy siddur was precious and beloved to the Rebbe, and four pages that had become worn from extensive use were completed in his own holy handwriting (pages 18–20, 69, and portions of 31 and 73 in the second section). One of these pages contains the kavanos for Krias Shema and is densely filled with sacred names — written with sanctity and purity by the Rebbe himself. On pages 59 and 148 are glosses in his holy handwriting; one of them is a correction to the combinations of Hashem's Holy Name. The siddur was passed down from generation to generation among the Rebbes of the Spinka dynasty until the last generation, and was held by them to be the sacred manuscript of their grandfather, the Imrei Yosef. The siddur was inherited by his grandson, the Admor Rabbi Nachman Kahana of Spinka (1905–1977), and by his son, the Admor Rabbi Moshe Elyakim Beriah of Spinka (1930–2021), together with a kvittel in his handwriting and brief notes – concerning the tekios. These stamps are also found on the illustrated title page. Rabbi Yosef Meir of Spinka (1838 - 1929), author of ‘Imrei Yosef’, was a leading chassidic Rebbe, miracle worker and prominent disciple of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Eichenstein of Ziditchov who appointed him as Rebbe. His impassioned prayers and breadth of knowledge in kabbalah were legendary, and Harav Chaim of Sanz often approached him with questions in the Hidden Torah. His Torah teachings were compiled into the ‘Imrei Yosef on Torah and Festivals’. The depth of the Rebbe’s prayers and kavanos is described by his son, the Chakal Yitzchak, in the introduction to ‘Imrei Yosef’: “The Rebbe’s prayers were ablaze with fiery fervor and immense strength. So intense was his devotion that he would often perspire until his tallis was soaked. He would pray at great length, with his mind cleaving to the supernal realms, and he would focus on all the kavanos of the Arizal—particularly during the recitation of Krias Shema and its blessings, where his prayers were especially prolonged.   This profound spiritual engagement is visibly reflected in this very siddur—especially in the heavily worn pages of Krias Shema and its blessings (pages 66–70).” The siddur was inherited by his grandson, the Admor Rabbi Nachman Kahana of Spinka (1905–1977), and his son, the Admor Rabbi Moshe Elyakim Briah of Spinka (1930–2021). It includes a kvittel (petition note) in his handwriting and short notes regarding shofar blowing. Includes their personal stamps on the illustrated title page. ____________ Siddur Kol Yaakov This sacred siddur garnered tremendous admiration from the greatest disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, and they established it as their siddur of choice for pouring out their hearts in prayer, in accordance with the intentions of the Ari. Among those who used it were the Maggid of Kozhnitz (who also wrote annotations on the siddur which were printed in his sefer 'Remazei Yisrael'), Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl and Rabbi David Shlomo Eibeshitz, author of 'Levushei Serad' and 'Arvei Nachal' (see sources for this in the collection Sifsei Tzaddikim, vol. 13, pp. 77–83). The Baal Shem Tov's greatest disciples testified that the holy Baal Shem Tov endorsed the siddur wholeheartedly and that upon seeing the author's writings, he embraced them and kissed them. On the title page of the author's sefer 'Shaarei Gan Eden' it is written about this siddur: ”As heard from a truthful and righteous source, when the Baal Shem Tov was in the holy community of Mezeritch, pages of this siddur were brought before him. He read two or three pages from it, embraced and kissed them, placed them near his head, and nodded saying, 'Fortunate is the nation that has such things…'” Rabbi Asher Tzvi of Ostra , author of ‘Ma'ayan HaChochmah’, writes in his endorsement for the siddur,