Auction 37
Lot 047:
Handsome copy in leather binding with gilded inscriptions: “Maamarim from the Tzemach Tzedek 19th century”, with an introductory page labelled “general index to all 5 bichelach.” A very thick tome made of several manuscripts, maamarim from the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch said around the 1860s. 277 leaves. The writing is mostly clear and readable, moth damage in one section over a few pages, moth holes, stains, bookmarks, overall good condition.
‘Bichelach’ is a nickname for a collection of Chassidic droshim written by hand. The origin of the word ‘bichel’ is Yiddish and means ‘notebook’. There are many Chassidic manuscripts which copied drashot heard from Admorim of Chabad, so that they could be preserved and be commented upon. Thanks to the copying of the bichelach by chassidim, many drashot by the Chabad Rebbes have been preserved despite the various tribulations experienced, including the fires which followed the Rebbes in Lubavitch. When the Rebbe arrived in America, he was appointed by his father-in-law the Rayatz to run the Chabad movement’s official publishing arm, and as part of his job he expended great effort to acquire manuscripts such as this in order to edit them and publish them.
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