Bidspirit auction | HaDerech HaTov  VeHayashar by the

HaDerech HaTov  VeHayashar by the Meir Nesivim, a Talmid-Chaver of the Baal Shem Tov. Polonnoye, 1795. First edition. * A brilliant and utterly unique work, containing ingeniously crafted rhyming lines designed as a mnemonic system for remembering the halachic rulings of every single siman of the Shulchan Aruch, across all four of its sections, with one line corresponding to each siman. The work was composed by Rabbi Meir Margolies, Av Beis Din of Lvov and Ostroh, author of Shu”t Meir Nesivim (d. 1790) , one of the earliest members of the holy circle who attached themselves to the Baal Shem Tov, whom he refers to in his sefarim as “my teacher, my friend.” The sefer was written in the year 1753, during the lifetime of the Baal Shem Tov himself! Rabbi Meir composed the work at the request of his son, Rabbi Shaul, Av Beis Din of Lublin. There is a letter of guidance printed at the beginning of the sefer written by Rabbi Meir to his son, in which he explains the method by which the sefer is to be studied. Rabbi Meir was an exceptional prodigy who devised poetic riddles and sophisticated systems to aid in retaining the words of the poskim. He writes in his letter of instruction to his son: “My beloved son, know that every wise person should take to heart that the words of the Sages ought to be conveyed through understanding and insight, by way of riddles and allusion, for through this they become more deeply engraved in the heart and memory.” Printed on the verso of the title page is a list of rabbanim who granted approbations to the sefer, whether in writing or orally (without the full text of the approbation). Among them are Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, the Ohev Yisrael of Apt, Rabbi Meir of Konstantin (son of the Yaabetz), Rabbi Dovid Tzvi Auerbach of Kremnitz (father-in-law of Rabbi Nosson of Breslov), and others. Polonnoye, 1795. First edition. Page Count: 40 leaves. Size : 20.2 cm. Condition : Good, with a few holes; reinforcement on the first two leaves. New fine leather binding. On leaf 2, the signature of the philanthropist Rabbi Chaim Tuviah Fligeltaub of Warsaw appears, together with his stamps. Bibliography : Stefansky, Sifrei Chassidim, no. 169. ------------------- Hidden Signature of the Author A hidden signature of the author is also embedded within the work. The opening letters of the second rhyme, running throughout the column, mostly spell the author’s name, “Meir, ” and at times the names of his family members — his father Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch, and his son, Rabbi Shaul. Additionally, allusions are embedded within the body of the rhymes themselves, concerning which Rabbi Meir writes at length in his letter printed at the beginning of the sefer. ----------------- For details on the unique structure of the sefer, please refer to the Hebrew text.