Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art

Kedushat Levi – Berditchev, 1816 – First Edition to Contain the Essays on the Torah Together with the Kedushot for Chanukah and Purim, with Many Additions

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Kedushat Levi, two parts, Chassidic and Kabbalistic essays on the Torah portions, festivals, and Aggadot, by R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. Berditchev (Berdychiv), 1816. With approbations by the Ohev Yisrael of Apta and R. Aharon of Zhitomir.
The book Kedushat Levi was printed by the author R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev twice in his lifetime, and comprised only the Kedushot essays on Chanukah and Purim. The first edition was printed in Slavita, 1798, and a second in Zhovkva, 1806. After his passing (Tishrei 1809), his descendants published for the first time his essays on the Torah portions (Berditchev, 1811), yet without the Kedushot essays on Chanukah and Purim. In the present edition, both parts were printed together for the first time in one volume – the essays on the Torah together with the Kedushot on Chanukah and Purim (separate title page for each part).
This edition also includes many additions from the author's manuscript. Each addition is marked at the beginning and end with a symbol of a hand (wherever several new essays were printed consecutively, the symbol was only printed at the beginning of the first essay and at the end of the last, rather than by each essay).
This is also the first edition bearing approbations by the author's colleague – the Ohev Yisrael of Apta, and the author's disciple – R. Aharon of Zhitomir, author of Toldot Aharon. The Ohev Yisrael writes in his approbation: "And certainly the merit of the author and holiness of these books will be a protection and shelter wherever they are… and one should hurry to buy these holy books, at full price".
Signature on the title page: "Shmuel Mordechai son of R. Yaakov Yisrael". Stamp on leaf following title page: "Ch. Meir son of R. M.Y. Chodorov (several descendants of the author bear the surname Chodorov).
3, 3-18, [1], 22-147; 38 leaves. 20 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Open tears to title page and following leaf, repaired with paper. A large open tear to title page, with photocopy replacement of missing text. Worming to several leaves, repaired. Final leaves apparently supplied from a different copy. New leather binding.
Chassidic Books
Chassidic Books