Bidspirit auction | Bekedusha Shel Ma’alah! The Parsha

Bekedusha Shel Ma’alah! The Parsha “Vehaya Ki Yeviacha” from the Tefillin, in the holy handwriting of Rabbi Zvi Sofer, the scribe of Maran, the holy Baal Shem Tov! Parshas “Vehaya Ki Yeviacha” from the Tefillin Parshiot, in the script of the Ari, in the very handwriting of the holy Rabbi Zvi “Sofer sta”m, ” exalted, revered and sanctified by Maran, the holy Baal Shem Tov! In the Tefillin Parsha before us, written by the holy Rabbi Zvi Sofer, appears a unique feature of the writing of the famed scribes of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezeritch (and also practiced among Yemenite Jews). The letter פ in the verse ”כי הקשה פרעה לשלחנו” is written differently than usual, curled and spiraled inward. Besides Rabbi Zvi Sofer, this practice was also followed by the other renowned holy scribes whose writing was most beloved to the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples: Rabbi Ephraim of Brody and Rabbi David of Anipoli. The holy Rabbi Zvi Sofer was one of the two scribes of our Maran, the holy Baal Shem Tov. Rabbi Zvi Sofer was the later of the two, whereas Rabbi Ephraim Sofer was the earlier. The holy Baal Shem Tov told him to begin writing Parshiyot after showing him revelations and visions of God. Tzaddikim said of him that when he wrote the Parshiyot of Tefillin, he could see from one end of the world to the other. Among the great tzaddikim of the generations, enormous importance was ascribed to the Tefillin Parshiyot written by the holy Rabbi Zvi Sofer, and only very few remain to this day. It is told about the holy Rabbi Yitzchak of Skvira that he had immense affection for sacred objects of the exalted tzaddikim, particularly Sifrei Torah and Tefillin written by the scribes most cherished by the early Chassidic leaders, such as Rabbi Zvi Sofer (the scribe of the present Parsha), Rabbi Ephraim of Brody, and Rabbi David of Anipoli, and he would spend vast sums to acquire them. In his Beit Midrash, there was a Sefer Torah of the Baal Shem Tov written by Rabbi Zvi, the Baal Shem Tov’s scribe, about which he said: “It is worth traveling eighty parasangs to merit an aliyah to this holy Sefer Torah.” He also owned the Sefer Tikkun Soferim of the Baal Shem Tov, according to which Rabbi Zvi Sofer wrote the Sefer Torah. Rabbi Yitzchak of Skvira acquired this Tikkun Soferim for a dowry of one thousand rubles. In the Skvira dynasty, the Rebbes and their descendants customarily used only Tefillin of exalted lineage, and to this day, Tefillin, Sifrei Torah, and many sacred objects connected to the scribes sanctified and revered by the early Chassidic masters are preserved in Skvira and its branches. Height of parchment: 5 cm. Length: 51 cm.