Auction 27 - Books, Manuscripts and Rabbinical Letters
Manuscript of the Eulogy by the Nodah B'Yehuda on Rabbi Meir Fishels – "Ma'aseh H'Chalom"
Opening: $1,000
Sold for: $1,500
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, "Eulogy by Rabbi… Yechezkel Landau Rabbi of Prague on Rabbi Meir Fishels Ra'avad of our community, at his burial on the 18th of Kislev 1769". Prague, Kislev 1769.
Rabbi Meir ben Fishel of Bumsla, close disciple of Rabbi Yehonatan Eibeshitz, served for forty years as Head of yeshiva in Prague and most of Prague's scholars were his disciples. Served also as Ra'avad of the city. Died on Shabbat the 17th of Kislev 1769 and was buried the next day, Sunday the 18th of Kislev. The city rabbi, the renowned Rabbi Yechezkel Landau, author of the Nodah B'Yehuda (1714-1793) eulogized him at the funeral and in his words included heavenly revelations that appeared in his dream two weeks previously in regard to his eulogy. This is what he said: "Even though I do not have the strength to eulogize him as fitting and it is better to keep quiet, but from Heaven I was warned to eulogize him. Otherwise, I would not have known what to say about him. But I was informed in my dream from Heaven what to say in my eulogy… and I will relate to you an awesome tale which came to me in my dream 15 days ago on Shabbat night the 3rd of Kislev. I was sleeping in my bed and in my dream they told me the verse… 'I hereby remove all reliance of bread'… and do you not know the meaning of 'reliance of bread'? Bread in the bread of Torah and they told me the verse 'And I will send a famine in the Land, not hunger for bread and not thirst for water but to hear the words of G-d'… And know that Rabbi Meir Fishels will die and at the time of his eulogy say this scripture. The rest of what I saw in my dream I will not reveal G-d forbid, just take to heart all the things I will say…".
To reinforce the truth of the tale of his dream, the Nodah B'Yehuda adds: "… And all my household members will testify that I fasted on that Shabbat and on the following Sunday…".
This awe-inspiring eulogy was printed in the book Midrash Yehonatan (Belogorye 1933) according to a manuscript from the Breslau Seminary. It was printed a second time with changes according to the manuscript by Buksbaum in Moriah (Issue 62-64, Av 1975) and in Chidushei Rabbi Meir Fishels (Jerusalem 2003). Here the eulogy is in another ancient manuscript [seems earlier than the copies from past printings] with many changes from the printed version.
4 pages, 36.5 cm. Fair condition, wear and tear, hard stains that hide a little of the text.
Rabbi Meir ben Fishel of Bumsla, close disciple of Rabbi Yehonatan Eibeshitz, served for forty years as Head of yeshiva in Prague and most of Prague's scholars were his disciples. Served also as Ra'avad of the city. Died on Shabbat the 17th of Kislev 1769 and was buried the next day, Sunday the 18th of Kislev. The city rabbi, the renowned Rabbi Yechezkel Landau, author of the Nodah B'Yehuda (1714-1793) eulogized him at the funeral and in his words included heavenly revelations that appeared in his dream two weeks previously in regard to his eulogy. This is what he said: "Even though I do not have the strength to eulogize him as fitting and it is better to keep quiet, but from Heaven I was warned to eulogize him. Otherwise, I would not have known what to say about him. But I was informed in my dream from Heaven what to say in my eulogy… and I will relate to you an awesome tale which came to me in my dream 15 days ago on Shabbat night the 3rd of Kislev. I was sleeping in my bed and in my dream they told me the verse… 'I hereby remove all reliance of bread'… and do you not know the meaning of 'reliance of bread'? Bread in the bread of Torah and they told me the verse 'And I will send a famine in the Land, not hunger for bread and not thirst for water but to hear the words of G-d'… And know that Rabbi Meir Fishels will die and at the time of his eulogy say this scripture. The rest of what I saw in my dream I will not reveal G-d forbid, just take to heart all the things I will say…".
To reinforce the truth of the tale of his dream, the Nodah B'Yehuda adds: "… And all my household members will testify that I fasted on that Shabbat and on the following Sunday…".
This awe-inspiring eulogy was printed in the book Midrash Yehonatan (Belogorye 1933) according to a manuscript from the Breslau Seminary. It was printed a second time with changes according to the manuscript by Buksbaum in Moriah (Issue 62-64, Av 1975) and in Chidushei Rabbi Meir Fishels (Jerusalem 2003). Here the eulogy is in another ancient manuscript [seems earlier than the copies from past printings] with many changes from the printed version.
4 pages, 36.5 cm. Fair condition, wear and tear, hard stains that hide a little of the text.
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