“Birat Migdal Oz…birchot shamayim…3rd section of the Siddur Yaavetz (Siddur Beis Yaakov by Rabbi Yaakov of Emden) wth approbations from the Maggid of Chernobyl and Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin (missing in this copy) … as printed in Berdichev”—printed probably in Lemberg around 1860. Partially missing copy. Originally: [2], 182, 99, [1] leaves. This copy begins with leaf 5 and ends with leaf 97 of the second pagination. Stains, defects, much worming damage, new inscribed binding. Overall poor condition.
Throughout the book are signatures from the Rahak Rabbi “Elimelech Shapira Grodzisk”, and on the first page are stamps (incomplete) from his son Rabbi “Kalonymus Kalman ben HaKadosh Mohara Shapira Grodzisk”, and Rabbi “Yeshaya ben HaKadosh Mohara Shapira Grodzisk”.
The Admor Rabbi Elimelech Shapira of Grodzisk (1824-1892) was the son of the Admor Rabbi Chaim Meir Yehiel of Mogielnica. He was one of the greatest Admorim of Poland in the years before the World Wars and had great yichus: he was the grandson of the Admorim the Maggid of Kozhnitz and Rabbi Elimeleh of Luzhansk, the Yehudi HaKadosh of Peshischa, the Saba of Ruzhin, the Ahavas Shalom of Kasov, and other tzaddikim. The tzaddikim of Poland deferred to his opinions in gatherings that took place on behalf of the Jewish community broadly and many came to study under him. He wrote the “Imrei Elimelech”, and “Divrei Elimelech” on the Torah and moadim.
His son the Admor Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piaseczno hy”d was born in 1889 when his father was already quite old (from a 2nd marriage, to the daughter of Rabbi Chaim Shmuel of Chentshin/Chęciny). When he was 19 he already began serving as Admor and thousands gathered around him and were known as “Bnei Aliya” in Poland. He was deeply focused on the education of children and young men, establishing the yeshiva Da’as Moshe in 1923, which became one of the largest hasidic yeshivot in Warsaw between the wars. In his work as a teacher, Rabbi Shapira attempted to reverse the trend toward secularization, which swept the Jewish community in Poland between the wars. The vibrant cultural life of the city, as well as the attractions of political movements such as Zionism and Socialism eroded the number of students wishing to pursue a yeshiva education. These trends, Rabbi Shapira argued, could only be exacerbated by traditional educational methods, firm discipline and rote learning, such as were often the practice of the day in yeshivot. According to Rabbi Nehemia Polen (a noted expert on Rabbi Shapira’s work) in his most important work, Chovas haTalmidim (“The Students’ Responsibility”), Rabbi Shapira argued that a child must be imbued “with a vision of his own potential greatness” and be enlisted “as an active participant in his own development.” Likewise, teachers “must learn to speak the language of the student, and graphically convey the delights of a life of closeness to G-d.”. Rabbi Shapira argued for positive, psychologically sensitive, joyous educational methods. It is important to emphasize that R. Shapira’s educational philosophy was not only a response to the crisis of secularization among the youth. Rather, it should also be seen as an organic component of his entire Hasidic outlook and as part of his vision to revitalize all of Hasidic society. Rav Shapira gave his life until the last moment, giving words of chizzuk in the Warsaw Ghetto despite members of his family having been killed by bombardments in Warsaw at the beginning of the war. He was taken with the survivors of the Ghetto to the Trawniki-Lublin camp and murdered in 1944.
Another son, Rabbi Yeshayahu Shapira (1891-1945) refused to serve as Admor despite those who desired it because he wished to immigrate to Israel. He was known for his great love for settling the Land of Israel and he worked to bring religious Jews to establish moshavim in Israel. He was a founder of Mizrahi in Poland and HaPoel HaMizrahi in Israel. He was known as the Admor HaChalutz.
