Auction 61
Lot 53:
Sefer Toldot Levi Yitzchak … by the Gaon Chassid kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Rebbe’s father. Edited by Rabbi Naftali Zvi Gotlieb with the Rebbe’s encouragement. Published by Kehat, Brooklyn, first edition, 1977. At its beginning, a picture of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak. Color printed cover. Good condition.
The uniqueness of the book derives from it being based on firsthand accounts: the Rebbetzin’s diary, the Chassidim Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Raskin and his sons, the memoirs of Rabbi Baruch Shifrin and more.
The attention the Rebbe gave the editing of the book was rare. The Rebbe took constant interest in the editing. After Rabbi Gotlieb finished writing a chapter, he would immediately send it to the Rebbe to be proofread. Often, he received a phone call from the secretary, Rabbi Chodakov, who would dictate the comments on the chapter. He had no doubt that these were indeed the Rebbe’s comments, an assumption that was supported when he saw a photocopy of the Rebbe’s comments, which had been dictated by Rabbi Chodakov.
The book was favored by the Rebbe, who said "it caused [him] much Nachat Ru’ach". The secretary, Rabbi Binyamin Klein, recalled that since the publishing of the book, it lay on the Rebbe’s table for long months.
Share this lot:
