Auction 38
Lot 004:
The Book of Psalms “with two commentaries, one from the great rabbi Rashi and the second called ‘Imrot Tehorot’ [the first Chassidic commentary on Psalms, by Rabbi Eliezer Horwitz the Av Beit Din of Tornigrad, student of the Admorim Rabbi Yehiel Michal of Zlotchow and Rabbi Elimelech of Luzhansk], with ma’amadot printed by the partners, the grandsons of the Slavita Rav, Rabbis Hanina Lipa and Yehoshua Heschel Shapira in Zhitomir 1855.” Two title pages, the first in red ink, at the end is a Seder Ma’amadot with an additional title page, with an approbation by the Admor Rabbi Yitzhak Meir ben Admor Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Aphtha-Mezhibozh, in which he discusses, among other things, the importance of saying ma’amadot and the seder korbanot according to his father, the Rebbe zt”l. On the last page is an illustration of a menorah with a LaMenatze’ach and holy names. 4, 3-136, 139-213, 31, [1] leaves. The page numbering is partly incorrect. Original binding is worn, leather spine, stains from tears and many signs of use, moth holes, a hole in the center of the first title page, tears at the edges of the title pages and additional pages. Complete copy, rare, in good condition.
We are very excited to have in our hands this holy item, frorm an important and holy printing house well-thought-of among bibliophiles. The Zhitomir printing house only employed Jews and the well-known legend is that they did tevila on the printing blocks at the beginning of their print jobs. The printer was founded in Slavita by Rabbi Moshe Shapira son of the Admor Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz (a student of the Baal Shem Tov), and later was moved to Zhitomir and managed by his grandsons Rabbis Hanina Lipa and Yehoshua Heschel Shapira. This printing was characterized by the elegance and expertise of its managers and editors, apart from the sacred intentions and purity of thought that accompanied all their work, due to which many printers adopted their style, especially in prayer books such as siddurim and Books of Psalms, due to the great weight of prayer carried out using such objects of holiness.
Many notes are handwritten on the blank first page with dates of births, and stamps of ownership: “Moshe ben Rav Toster…” in Hebrew, European language, and Arabic.
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