Auction 44

Sefer Nachalat Shiva—Koenigsberg 1859. Copy owned by the Admor the Imrei Baruch of Vizhnitz and his son.

The auction will start in __ days and __ hours

Start price: $500

Buyer's premium:

Nachalat Shiva, 2 sections, “called Tshuvat She’elot/with gloses from the Mahadura Batra”, by Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi David Moshe HaLevi (lived in the 17th century). Separate title page for each section. Printed in Koenigsberg 1859. 130 (supposed to be 136) leaves, 52, [1] leaves. Many approbations, antique binding with leather spine, stains, a few moth holes, overall good condition.

The rear blank page has a note testifying that the book belongs to the Admor Rabbi Baruch Hager, the Imrei Baruch of Vizhnitz. The title page has his son’s stamp, the Admor of Horodenka: “Yehiel Michael ben HaRav Baruch.” Note in the body of the work, many additional notes in the blank pages testifying that the book passed through many hands, not checked thoroughly.

The Admor Rabbi Baruch Hager, the Imrei Baruch of Vizhnitz (1845-1893), was the son of Admor Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager, the Tzemach Tzaddik. He was the second Admor of Vizhnitz and the fourth of Kosov-Vizhnitz. In 1885 he succeeded his father and began to serve as Admor, but he refused to abide by certain manners that his father had. Like all Admors of Kosov-Vizhnitz, he gave his personal money to tzedakah. It is said that once a rich man who had lost all his property asked the Rebbe to help him marry off his daughter by giving a box of tobacco – as a segulah for success, but before giving it the Admor secretly put 200 roubles in it, and when he returned to his hostel he found the money inside and hastily returned to the Admor to give him back the money. The Admor rejected him gently and said: “I see that my blessing is already coming true.”

The rabbi’s 11th child, Rabbi Yehiel Michal of Horodenka, succeeded his eldest brother Rabbi Shmuel Aba in Horodenka. He was son-in-law of the Admor’s brother, Rabbi Haim Hager of Antenia.