Bidspirit auction | Margaliyos HaTorah Kabbalastic Commentary First

Margaliyos HaTorah Kabbalastic Commentary First Edition Copy of Rabbi Elimelech of Grodzisk and his Son the Piaseczner Rebbe Hy”d * Sefer Margaliyos HaTorah, a kabbalistic commentary on Nevi'im, Kesuvim, and the Five Megillos, by the maggid Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch of Semyatich, a disciple of the Vilna Gaon. First edition. On the title page appears the handwritten signature of the Admor Rabbi Elimelech Shapira of Grodzisk, one of the senior Rebbes of his generation. His stamps appear on the title page and on several additional pages. From him, the sefer passed to his son, the saintly Admor Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, Hy”d, of Piaseczna, author of Chovas HaTalmidim and Aish Kodesh. His ownership stamps appear on the title page and in various other places. Also present are the stamps of his younger brother, Rabbi Yeshaya Shapira. Rabbi Elimelech Shapira of Grodzisk, author of Imrei Elimelech and Divrei Elimelech (1824–1892), was a direct descendant of the Megaleh Amukos and named after his great-grandfather, the Noam Elimelech. He was one of the great tzaddikim of his time and a Rebbe to thousands. He was the son of the Saraf of Mogielnica, a grandson of the Maggid of Kozhnitz, and he served as Rebbe from 1848. Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira (1889 - 1943) was the ben zekunim of Rabbi Elimelech of Grodzisk, who was then the oldest of all Polish Rebbes. He was a descendant of the Maggid of Kozhnitz on his father’s side and of the Meor V’Shemesh on his mother’s side, after whom he was named. Already in his twenties, he became a Rebbe and Rav in Piaseczna and at the age of thirty-four he founded the great yeshiva in Warsaw where he educated and inspired youth with Torah and yiras Shamayim. Towards the end of his life, he was relocated to the Warsaw Ghetto where he exercised remarkable mesirus nefesh for mitzvah observance. Even during that dark period, he delved into his learning and writings. His final months were spent in a concentration camp near Lublin, in sanctity and purity, completely absorbed in thoughts of Heaven, seemingly preparing himself for the ultimate Akeidah — to ascend to heaven in Kiddush Hashem. He was murdered by the Nazis on Wednesday, 4 Cheshvan 5704 (October 13, 1943), Hy”d. His sefarim on education, Chovas HaTalmidim and Hachsharas HaAvreichim, earned him eternal renown. His drashos from 1941–1944 were written in his own handwriting in Aish Kodesh, and they were miraculously discovered in postwar excavations beneath a building in Warsaw. His younger brother, Rabbi Yeshaya Shapira, the Admor HaChalutz (the pioneer Rebbe) (1891–1945), was born when his father was about sixty-seven years old, and who passed away a year later. Rabbi Yeshaya had a great love for Eretz Yisrael, and merited to immigrate there and labor in its holy soil. He died of heartbreak upon hearing of his brother’s murder. Warsaw?, after 1855. First edition . Regarding the place and date of printing, see below. The printing extended over several years, as noted by the printers. Page Count: [1], 18; 40; 29; 16; 19–28, 27–28, 27–65; 10 leaves. Size: approx.. 20 cm. Condition: Good. A hole in the inner margins ___________________________ The author, ”Rabbi Hirsch the Chassid, ” was a kabbalist and brilliant scholar, whose primary rebbi was the Vilna Gaon. He was one of the seven officially recognized disciples of the Vilna Gaon, as recorded by the Vilna Gaon’s descendants. His work Margaliyos HaTorah appeared in two parts (Paritzk, 1788; Warsaw?, after 1855 - the present edition). It is related that he once went to ”test” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and they agreed to debate only in the realms of halacha and bekiyus, but not in lofty chassidic discourse. As they walked and discussed these matters, every point raised by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was deftly refuted by Rabbi Hirsch’s sharp questions, until Rabbi Levi Yitzchak exclaimed that not everything has an intellectual answer; not everything is knowledge and halacha, but one needs to have emunah peshuta, simple faith, and one needs to know Chassidus and Kabbalah, and then all questions are resolved. On the Place and Year of Printing Bibliographers have ascribed the place of printing to Minkovitz. The year on the title page reads, ”תתקס”ז” which is clearly incorrect; they therefore assumed that one “taf” should be removed, to make it read ”תקס”ז” and from then on it was listed in all sources as: Minkovitz 1807. However, it is evident that the sefer was printed after 1855, since at the end of the present copy, the editor, Rabbi Mordechai ben Nechemiah, is referred to as “the late Rabbi Mordechai ben Nechemiah, ” and he passed away in 1855. Though another date appears at the end (תתתצ”ג), it is clearly erroneous. In any case, it was written during Rabbi Mordechai’s lifetime, and therefore cannot serve as proof of the actual year of printing. Regarding the place of printing, in 1887,