Sefer Maor v’Shemesh, “the holy notebook on the Five Books of Torah and remazim of the Yamim Nora’im and Three Regalim and some likkutim” from the Admor Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman HaLevi Epstein, one of the closest students of Rabbi Elimelech of Leżajsk. An important work considered a Sefer Yesod in the Chassidic world and was printed for several years around the Chumash in some editions. The author also became known by the title of the work. Some call this work the Encyclopedia of Chassidus because it explains many important Chassidic concepts.
First edition, printed by Hirsch Sulzbach, Breslau 1842. [1], 277, [2] leaves. This copy is missing the second title page. The title page, as in many other copies, is a fake—it lists the printer as Yehudit Rubinstein in Lemberg, 1785, while the actual year of printing is determined on the basis of the date of the introduction and some of the approbations.
Catalogued in the National Library’s Rare Books section. Stefanski Chassidus 307. Stefanski Sifrei Yesod 392. The beginning of the book has an introduction by the author, Rabbi Aharon HaLevi Epstein. The book is decorated with many approbations from geonim and gedolim of the period: Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Lifshitz, Av Beit Din of Vishnitz; Rabbi Dov Berish Meizlish, Av Beit Din of Krakow; Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Tiktin, Av Beit Din of Breslau; Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Heller, Av Beit Din of Bonyhád.
Old, handsome binding, Probably original, the last leaf has tears, tape in several places, stains, overall good condition.
The author, the Admor Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman HaLevi Epstein (Neustadt 1751 – Krakow 1823) was the closest student of the Admor Rabbi Elimelech of Leżajsk. He was known at the end of his life as a complete tzaddik and many would come to him for blessings. This work was immediately popular and has become extremely valuable.
His story begins as a young boy who would walk barefoot around Krakow and sell cakes/bagels baked by his father, Reb Aharon, at dawn. He would send his son, Rabbi Kalonymus, to sell them. One day he entered the Bach Beit Midrash in Krakow and was electrified by the sight of those studying Torah, under the tutelage of Rabbi Avraham Horwitz. He hastened to finish selling all of the baked goods so that he would have enough time to enter the beit midrash.
One day he was noticed by one of the visitors to the Beit Midrash, Rabbi Mordechai Gotlad, who in addition to being a talmid chacham was also a rich person. He was intrigued by the boy’s actions and began to test him on what was said in class, much to his his eyes and began to repeat in fluent language all the explanations and deep discussions. The man was very surprised and impressed and asked the boy to bring him to his parents’ house. They of course were happy with what Rabbi Mordechai = had told them, so he offered his protection for him and to finance his education, which his father was unable to do.
Over the years he became a noble member of the God-fearing, after he ascended and transcended and adhered to his great Rabbi from Leżajsk, and even traveled to Rabbi Yehiel Michal of Zlotchov and other tzaddikim, surviving the persecution of the misnagdim, following whom he was even forced to flee the city. And for all this he still managed to compose his great book "Maor v’Shemesh".
