Auction 83 - Part I - Rare and Important Items
Kedushat Levi – Berditchev, 1816 – First Edition to Contain the Essays on the Torah Together with the Kedushot for Chanukah and Purim, with Many Additions
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000
Sold for: $3,250
Including buyer's premium
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".
Prominent Torah scholars attested that Kedushat Levi bears the remarkable power of endowing its reader with enthusiasm and devotion in love and fear of G-d, also maintaining that just keeping the book in the house has the capacity to mitigate decrees and protect from destructive forces, as the Ohev Yisrael wrote in his approbation. This was also mentioned by R. Aharon of Zhitomir in his approbation, and by the rabbis of Munkacs (in their approbation to the Munkacs 1939 edition).
3, 3-18, [1], 22-147 leaves; [2], 3-38 leaves. 20.5 cm. Condition varies, good-fair. Stains, including dampstains (several leaves with significant dampstains). Minor wear. Open tears to first title page and other leaves, affecting border and text, repaired with paper (with photocopy replacement of title page border and handwritten replacement of missing text in several places). Worming, slightly affecting text. Printing defects to a few leaves, affecting text. One leaf torn and detached (with damage to text; possibly supplied from a different copy). Handwritten inscriptions. New leather binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 510.
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".
Prominent Torah scholars attested that Kedushat Levi bears the remarkable power of endowing its reader with enthusiasm and devotion in love and fear of G-d, also maintaining that just keeping the book in the house has the capacity to mitigate decrees and protect from destructive forces, as the Ohev Yisrael wrote in his approbation. This was also mentioned by R. Aharon of Zhitomir in his approbation, and by the rabbis of Munkacs (in their approbation to the Munkacs 1939 edition).
3, 3-18, [1], 22-147 leaves; [2], 3-38 leaves. 20.5 cm. Condition varies, good-fair. Stains, including dampstains (several leaves with significant dampstains). Minor wear. Open tears to first title page and other leaves, affecting border and text, repaired with paper (with photocopy replacement of title page border and handwritten replacement of missing text in several places). Worming, slightly affecting text. Printing defects to a few leaves, affecting text. One leaf torn and detached (with damage to text; possibly supplied from a different copy). Handwritten inscriptions. New leather binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 510.
Chassidic Books
Chassidic Books