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The Personal Yom Kippur Machzor of the Gerrer Rebbe, the “Pnei Menachem, ” Used by Him in His Divine Service on the Holiest Day, with Additions in His Holy Handwriting – Part II - The Personal Yom Kippur Machzor of the Gerrer Rebbe, the “Pnei Menachem, ” Used by Him in His Divine Service on the Holiest Day, with Additions in His Holy Handwriting Machzor for Yom Kippur – Machzor Kol Bo HaShalem, with commentary by the sages of Ashkenaz, Nusach Sefard. Jerusalem, 1981. Before us is one of the most personal and moving sacred objects from the spiritual world of the Gerrer Rebbe, the “Pnei Menachem.” The complete Machzor comprised approximately one thousand pages. The Rebbe divided it into four separate volumes in order to facilitate its use during the lengthy Yom Kippur prayers. On the binding of each volume his name was embossed: “Machzor LeYom HaKippurim – Alter, ” indicating that the set was specially bound for his personal use. The present volume contains the Shacharit service for Yom Kippur. On the rear flyleaf appears an ownership inscription in the Rebbe’s holy handwriting: “With Hashem’s help, in His abundant goodness and kindness, Hashem has favored me, ” followed by his signature: “Pinchas Menachem Alter, of the holy city of Jerusalem, may it be rebuilt and established speedily in our days.” He further wrote: “I received [this], with Hashem’s help, from my son R. Y.D., shlita, 4 Shevat, ‘Hashem is gracious and righteous, and our God is compassionate, ’ according to the minor era.” At the beginning and end of the volume appear the Rebbe’s ownership stamps: “Pinchas Menachem Alter, Jerusalem.” Beneath the signature on the front flyleaf, the Rebbe added in his own handwriting his residential address: “3 Sfas Emes Street.” The Rebbe’s Personal Resolutions for His Yom Kippur Avodah The principal distinction of this Machzor lies in the remarkable list of spiritual principles that the Rebbe wrote for himself, so that they would remain before his eyes throughout his service on the holiest day of the year. At the beginning of the volume, the Rebbe wrote in his holy handwriting: “With Hashem’s help, to endeavor, with Hashem’s help, to study, pray, recite blessings, give thanks to Hashem, and to do everything for the sake of Heaven and to bring satisfaction to Hashem – and to be ashamed before Him.” On the penultimate leaf, the Rebbe additionally inscribed the sacred Divine Names Havayah and Ehyeh in his own holy handwriting. Beneath them, he once again recorded the resolutions appearing at the beginning of the volume: “With Hashem’s help, to endeavor to pray, recite blessings, study, and do everything for the sake of Heaven and to bring satisfaction to Hashem – and to be ashamed before Him.” He then listed seven concise and fundamental principles, reflecting his innermost spiritual world: 1) Hashem has greater compassion upon me than anyone who could have compassion upon me, and He protects me even when I do not protect myself. 2) All good that comes from anyone is entirely from Hashem; they are all His emissaries. 3) All goodness is bestowed through Hashem’s kindness, and not because we are deserving. 4) Hashem knows whether our trust in Him is complete, and nothing can be concealed from Him. 5) Nothing can be added to or subtracted from Hashem’s decree, except through prayer to Him. 6) To endeavor to fulfill the teaching of Chazal: “Make your will like His will, ” etc. 7) To rejoice and thank Hashem that He did not make me a non-Jew. These are not merely scholarly annotations, but a personal program of spiritual conduct written by the Rebbe for himself, intended to accompany him throughout every stage of his Yom Kippur avodah. The inscriptions open a rare window into the inner world of one of the great Jewish leaders of the previous generation and reveal the fundamental principles upon which he sought to reflect repeatedly during the most exalted hours of the holy day. Before us, therefore, is an extraordinary sacred object – the Rebbe’s personal prayer book for the holiest day of the Jewish year. Throughout its pages, one senses his desire to transform the Machzor into a living instrument of Divine service, through personal resolutions, reminders, allusions and additions, all inscribed in his own holy handwriting. Items of this nature, which so directly reflect the private spiritual avodah of a Rebbe during prayer, are exceedingly rare and rank among the most personal and moving documents associated with the great Torah leaders of recent generations. pp. 227–616. Approx. 16 cm. Condition: Good. On p. 445 appears a correction to the text of the prayer in the Rebbe’s holy handwriting. The Pnei Menachem of Ger The holy Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter (1926–1996), author of the Pnei Menachem series, was the seventh Rebbe of the Ger dynasty. He was the youngest son of the Imrei Emes and brother of the Gerrer Rebbes, the Beit Yisrael and the Lev Simcha. In 1940,