Toldot Aharon, Chassidic and kabbalistic essays on the Torah portions, by R. Aharon of Zhitomir (close disciple of R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev). Berditchev (Berdychiv): R. Yisrael Bak, [1817]. First edition. With approbations by great Chassidic leaders: the Ohev Yisrael of Apta, R. Mordechai of Chernobyl and R. Yisrael of Pikov. In all three approbations, the author is termed "the holy light, G-dly man".
Toldot Aharon contains inspirational sermons and guidance in worship of G-d based on Chassidic teachings, recorded by one of the disciples of R. Aharon of Zhitomir, and brought to press within the year of mourning following the passing of his teacher, the author. The book is written in an animated, passionate style, as the approbations describe it: "His holy words enthuse the hearts of the Jewish people towards their Father in Heaven, like a tongue of flame rising heavenwards"; "His words are impassioned like a fiery flame". The book quotes dozens of teachings received by the author from his prime teacher, R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, as well as expressions of his exceptional reverence for his teacher.
The author, R. Aharon of Zhitomir (ca. 1750-1817, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, I, p. 156) was appointed in ca. 1798 by his teacher R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev as maggid in Zhitomir, and the latter cautioned the townspeople of Zhitomir exceedingly to treat him with great respect. He held this position for some three years. He later moved to Hungary, where he served as maggid in Karaly (Carei) and Ashvar (Nyírvasvári), which became a Chassidic town under his influence. This book contains the sermons he delivered in Zhitomir in 1798-1801.
[2], 18, [4] (mispagination), 21- 36, 40-191 leaves. Approx. 23 cm. Mostly printed on bluish-greenish paper. Wide margins. Most leaves are in good condition. Stains. Worming to first leaves. Significant worming to some 25 leaves at the end, mostly at the top of the leaves, affecting text. Small tears in a few places, not affecting text. Stamp and censor's signature on title page. New binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 604.

Tzemach Hashem LiTzvi, Chassidic essays on the Torah, by R. Tzvi Hirsh of Nadvirna. [Berditchev (Berdychiv): R. Yisrael Bak, ca. 1818]. First edition.
The author, Rebbe Tzvi Hirsh of Nadvirna (1740-1802, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, III, pp. 604-607), was a leading third generation Chassidic rebbe. Disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. His primary teacher was R. Yechiel Michel of Złoczew, who was known to say that R. Tzvi Hirsh was the greatest of his disciples and that Eliyahu HaNavi desires his closeness. R. Tzvi Hirsh's disciples include R. Menachem Mendel of Kosov, R. Tzvi Hirsh of Zhydachiv, R. Avraham David of Buchach and others. He wrote many books and was famous for his primary work Tzemach Hashem LiTzvi. His book Alfa Beta merited many editions and R. Eliezer Papo, author of Pele Yo'etz, included it in his composition.
Signatures on title page of R. Yaakov Shmuel son of R. Avraham Shlomo Elias (Rabbi of Szamosújvár, Hungary. Perished in the Holocaust in 1944). Early signatures of "Yoel Kaufmann of Bacău" at the end of Bereshit and at the beginning of Shemot.
[3], 28; 138 leaves. Bluish paper. 20 cm. Overall good condition. Stains. Minor wear and signs of usage to several leaves. Worming to first and last leaves. New leather binding.
Includes leaf [3], with the third approbation and omissions from Parshiot Ki Tisa and Shmini, which is found in only some of the copies.
The date of printing follows A. Yaari, The Hebrew Printing in Berditchev, Kiryat Sefer, 21, 1944-1945, pp. 120-121. The title page ornamentation, a Torah shield, is the device of R. Yisrael Bak's printing press.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 500.

Five Books of the Torah, with Targum Onkelos, Rashi and Baal HaTurim commentaries, and with the Be'er Mayim Chaim commentary, by R. Chaim Thirer Rabbi of Czernowitz (Chernivtsi). Mohyliv-Sudylkiv, [1820 – regarding the exact places and years of printing, see below]. First edition. Five volumes (complete set).
Be'er Mayim Chaim is a prominent and fundamental work of Chassidic teachings, unique for its clarity and conviction, as well as the enthusiastic Chassidic emotion which it exudes. It was published in many editions and became a cornerstone of Chassidut.
The volume of Bereshit contains approbations by R. Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta, R. Efraim Zalman Margolies of Brody and R. Mordechai of Kremnitz (son of R. Yechiel Michel of Zlotchov).
The manuscript of Be'er Mayim Chaim was sent from Eretz Israel to R. Mordechai of Kremnitz after the passing of the author in 1813/1814. R. Mordechai writes in his approbation that upon receiving the writings, he accepted the burden of organizing their copying and arranging them for print. He also tells there of the extraordinary love his father, the Maggid of Zlotchov, felt towards the author. The Ohev Yisrael of Apta wrote in his approbation: "We are well aware of the desire and wish of that tzaddik, who yearned his entire life to benefit the public with his holy teachings… and he brought many to repentance… and may we benefit from the merit of the author…". The Rebbe of Belz, the Sar Shalom, said that the first book of ethics he studied was Be'er Mayim Chaim.
This edition also contains the commentary on the Masorah, Minchat Kalil, by R. Or Shraga Feivush Rabbi of Dubrowna, son-in-law of the Gaon of Vilna (copied from the Aderet Eliyahu chumash – Dubrowna, 1804).
The author, Rebbe Chaim Thirer of Czernowitz (ca. 1740s-1813/1814; regarding the date of his death, see item 86), a prominent Chassidic leader, was a close disciple of the Maggid of Zlotchov. He also authored the fundamental work Sidduro shel Shabbat (Mohyliv, 1813). He served as rabbi of Czernowitz, Mohyliv Podilskyi, Botoșani and Kishinev (Chișinău), and was greatly influential in reinforcing Torah observance in the Bukovina region. Reputed as a holy man, wondrous tales about him abound. He was renowned in the Chassidic world for his extreme attachment to the holiness of Shabbat, when he soared to exalted levels. His teacher, the Maggid of Zlotchov, attested that he drew his vitality from the holiness of Shabbat. According to Chassidic tradition, after his immersion before Shabbat, his form would change and he would grow taller by a handbreadth. In the summer of 1813, he immigrated to Eretz Israel and settled in Safed. There he composed Shaar HaTefillah (Sudylkiv, 1825) and Eretz HaChaim (Czernowitz, 1861), and there he is buried.
Five volumes. Approx. 21 cm. Two volumes are missing the title page and other leaves (replaced in photocopy). Greenish and bluish high-quality paper. New, uniform leather bindings.
Bereshit: [2], 5-354 leaves. Shemot and Esther: 2-282, 14, 19-37 leaves (missing first and last leaf, originally: 282, 14, 19-38 leaves). Vayikra and Shir HaShirim: [1], 2-120; 8; 10 leaves. Bamidbar and Ruth: [1], 2-16, 19-181 leaves. Leaves 113-114 are bound out of sequence. Devarim, Eicha and Kohelet: 2-172 leaves (missing title page and leaf [2], originally: [2], 2-172 leaves).
Good-fair condition. Several leaves in Bereshit volume trimmed close to headings. Early stamp on title page of Bereshit. Ownership stamps and censor's signatures in Vayikra volume. Stains, including dampstains; some significant. Tears and minor worming, affecting text, professionally repaired with paper.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 216.
This edition is known as the Mohyliv 1820 edition, since that is what appears in the imprint of all five title pages. However, after careful examination, it seems that the imprint was altered to mislead the censor, and in fact the volume of Shemot was printed first, in Mohyliv, no later than Iyar 1818 and the rest of the volumes were printed in Sudylkiv after 1825.
Places of printing – the title pages of all five volumes declare in large red type: "In Mohyliv", however, printed above (besides in the Shemot volume) in small black type are the words: "Printed in Sudylkiv".
Years of printing – in the approbation of R. Mordechai of Kremnitz to Shaar HaTefillah, from 13th Iyar 1818, he writes: "With the help of G-d, one volume has already been printed, may He agree that I finish all five volumes". This refers to the Shemot volume, as the printers state at the end of the volume (p. 37b): "Printing started with this volume". Similarly, on the title page of the Shemot volume, the author is presented as the author of just Sidduro shel Shabbat (Mohyliv, 1813), whereas on the title pages of all the other volumes his book Shaar HaTefillah is also mentioned, that book being printed only in 1825. Encyclopedia L'Chassidut (Books, p. 604) documents a copy of the Bereshit volume of this set, which mentions the Shem Efraim commentary by R. Efraim Zalman Margolies, first printed in Ostroh 1825-1826.
It should be noted that the censor's permit in Polish, printed on verso of the Bereshit title page, states that the work was already presented for reviewing on December 27, 1815, although the permit was only given in the summer of 1820.

Arvei Nachal, on the Torah, by R. David Shlomo Eibeschutz, Rabbi of Soroki. [Sudylkiv: Pinchas Eliezer Bilitch? 1825-1826].
Two volumes composed of the first edition and of another edition printed at the same time or soon after (see bibliographic note below). Vol. I – Bereshit, Shemot, Vayikra – from the first edition. Vol. II – Vayikra, Bamidbar, Devarim – from the second edition.
The author, R. David Shlomo Eibeschutz (1755-1813, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, I, pp. 501-503), was a prominent Chassidic leader and posek, and served as rabbi of Soroki. In 1809, he immigrated to Eretz Israel and settled in Safed, and there he is buried. His relative R. Levi Yitzchak of Berdychiv writes about him in an approbation that he is "as astute and well-versed in Torah as the sages of old, and all his deeds are performed for the sake of Heaven". R. Eibeschutz wrote many compositions, among them the famous halachic work Levushei Serad. His book Arvei Nachal became a classic Chassidic text – more than 20 editions have been printed since its initial printing (it was also included in an edition of the Torah).
Two volumes: Vol. I: [2], 98; 41 leaves. Vol. II: [1], 41; 43-168 leaves. 41 leaves of Vayikra appear in both volumes. Overall good-fair condition. Vol. I: 23 cm. Stains and minor wear. Dampstains. Large tears to last leaf, repaired with paper. Stamps and handwritten inscriptions. Especially large stamp on last leaf. Vol. II: 22.5 cm. Stains. Worming affecting text. Worming and tears to title page and to first and last leaves, repaired with paper (with letters replaced by hand in a few places). Leaves trimmed affecting headings and slightly damaging text. Stamps. New uniform bindings.
Two editions of this book were printed simultaneously; the present two volumes combine parts of both these editions. There are several differences between the editions, including minor typographic variations to the title page (in one edition, the bottom lines are in a square typeface and in the parallel edition in Rashi script) and in the text layout (the notes in parentheses were printed in one edition in regular-sized letters and in the parallel edition in small letters). These differences can be discerned in the book of Vayikra, which appears twice in these volumes – once from one edition and again from the parallel edition. Ch. Lieberman, who noted several differences between the editions, claims that one of these editions is an "intermediate edition", printed in Sudylkiv ca. 1830, between the first edition – Sudylkiv 1825-1826 and the Sudylkiv 1835 edition. This assertion is also recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book. Nonetheless, the source of this supposed date of printing is not clear, nor are the reasons for Lieberman's conclusion as to which edition was printed first. See: Ch. Lieberman, Ohel Rachel, I, New York 1980, pp. 372-373.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 470 (Stefansky records both editions as variants of the first edition and we have done the same).