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Siddur of Rabbi Shabtai of Rashkov, Disciple of the Baal Shem Tov - Korets, 1794 - First Edition - ”Prayers for the year-round”, with kavanot of the Arizal, prayers for weekdays, Shabbat and festivals, Nusach Sefard, compiled by the kabbalist R. Shabtai of Rashkov - disciple of the Baal Shem Tov. Korets, [1794]. First edition. Two volumes. This siddur is the first to contain kavanot and customs of R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov - prime teacher of the compiler of this siddur, R. Shabtai of Rashkov. The title page states that ”Yichudim from the G-dly and holy Baal Shem Tov, whose name is renowned throughout the world” were added to this siddur. Additionally, this siddur is the first to feature the custom of reciting Viyehi Noam and Yoshev BeSeter Elyon seven times at the Chanukah candle lighting ceremony, which the Baal Shem Tov innovated: ”And in the name of my teacher R. Yisrael Baal Shem, one should say seven times Viyehi Noam and Yoshev BeSeter in the ordinary way, and he would also recite these Psalms during the High Holidays and at any time of trouble…” (vol. I, p. 336b). Likewise, this is the source of the Baal Shem Tov's custom of refraining from idle talk on Shavuot night until after the Kedushah prayer of Mussaf: ”In the name of my teacher, one must be very careful after the Tikkun in the night, not to interrupt with any mundane talk, until after Kedushah in Mussaf…” (vol. II, p. 52b). The page before states: ”I received from my teacher, that when Shavuot falls on… one should focus during the reading of the Ten Commandments…”. Likewise, he quotes kavanot ”from my teacher, which one should focus one during the time of learning early in the morning, as well as kavanot for Hatarat Nedarim (annulment of a vow). The siddur and its holy author were deemed holy and highly regarded by Chassidim, and especially by great Chassidic leaders. Seder HaDorot HaChadash (Satmar 1941, p. 19a) states: ”R. Shabtai Rashkover, the holy kabbalist, composed a siddur with the kavanot of the Arizal, and it was printed a long time ago, and it is very rare…” (this was written in 1865). Michael Levi Rodkinson writes in his book Toldot Amudei HaChabad (Königsberg 1876, pp. 31-32) that when Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi compiled his siddur ”he chose the siddur of R. Shabtai Sheftel of Rashkov from amongst the printed siddurim of the Arizal … and for the most part, he based the text of the prayers in his siddur on the siddur of R. Shabtai Rashkover”. Imrei Pinchas HaShalem (I, pp. 223-224) quotes R. Yaakov Shimon son of R. Pinchas of Korets: ”One must only pray from the rite of the Arizal printed in Lviv (=1788, R. Asher's siddur) or from the siddur of R. Shabtai, and not from other editions of the new siddurim”. It also brings the words of R. Binyamin Ze'ev of Balta - close disciple of R. Pinchas of Korets: ”…the siddur of R. Shabtai is also one of the siddurim we use”. The Maggid of Kozhnitz, the Ateret Tzvi of Ziditchov and the Minchat Elazar of Munkacs studied the siddur of R. Shabtai in depth, and annotated it with glosses and commentaries which were later printed. Rebbe Shmuel Abba of Zichlin prayed his entire life from the siddur of R. Shabtai (Lahav Esh, Piotrkow 1935, p. 28). R. Yisrael of Ruzhin would always pray from the copy of R. Shabtai's siddur actually handwritten by the author. Reputedly, after R. Yisrael of Ruzhin moved to Sadigura, ”he constantly asked the people around him to make the effort to go bring him the siddur which he left in Iași, since it was handwritten by R. Shabtai…and when they finally brought the siddur to Sadigura, he exclaimed 'This siddur is my life!'” (Yeshuot Yisrael, Podgórze 1904, II, p. 49). The kabbalist R. Shabtai son of R. Tzvi Hirsh of Rashkov (Rașcov; b. before 1720? - d. 1781-1784) was a disciple of R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov and the latter's sofer. Some say that he was the disciple of R. Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezeritch. R. Meir of Premishlan the first served as a teacher of young boys in the home of R. Shabtai, and reputedly, the Baal Shem Tov went to visit them, so that they could together make efforts, through Yichudim and kavanot, to cancel the influence of the Frankist movement which had broadened at that time. R. Shabtai was known as an expert copyist and editor of manuscripts, especially holy manuscripts of the teachings of the Arizal and his disciples. Thus for instance, Pri Etz Chaim (by R. Chaim Vital), printed in Korets 1785, contains many additions from the disciples of the Arizal which were not included in the first edition: ”This comes to improve upon the first, since we toiled and found a very accurate Pri Etz Chaim, copied by R. Shabtai Rashkover, whose writings are all considered perfect…”. Reputedly, the Baal Shem Tov asked R. Shabtai to copy for him the composition of the kabbalist R. Heshel Tzoref, ”and he gave it to him to copy, and the time was not ripe, until R. Yisrael Baal Shem was summoned to the Heavenly academy”.