Noam Elimelech – Large Collection of Editions – Including All Editions Published in the 19th Century and Other ...

Noam Elimelech – Large Collection of Editions – Including All Editions Published in the 19th Century and Other Editions – Segulah for Easy Birth
Large, impressive collection of more than 30 editions of the book Noam Elimelech by R. Elimelech of Lizhensk, one of the fundamental works of Chassidic teachings. Earliest edition: Polonne, [1804] – the fourth edition.
This collection contains all the editions of the book published in the 19th century and several editions from the first half of the 20th century.
List of editions:
• Polonne, [1804]. Fourth edition. Stefansky Chassidut, no. 377.
• Polonne [1814]. Fifth edition. Stefansky Chassidut, no. 378. (This copy has [105] leaves. The Bibliography of the Hebrew Book lists only [104] leaves).
• Hrubieszów, 1817. Sixth edition. Two variant copies. The title page of one copy is printed in black and red. The place of printing and part of the name of the printer were omitted in the other copy (this copy lacks 2 leaves in the middle – 47-48). Stefansky Chassidut, no. 379.
• [Russia-Poland, ca. 1820]. Seventh edition, false name of author. This is the first edition of Hanhagot HaAdam by R. Elimelech of Lizhensk. Due to the falsification, it has erroneously been attributed to R. Yechiel Michel of Złoczów. Stefansky Chassidut, no. 380.
• [Russia-Poland, ca. 1820]. A different edition than the previous one.
• 14 editions printed in Lemberg (Lviv) from 1849 to 1875.
• Two editions printed in Warsaw, in 1880 and ca. 1890. • Krakow, 1896. • Warsaw, 1901. • Podgórze, 1904. • Warsaw, 1908. • Warsaw, [1922?] (the year on the title page is 5682 [=1922] – such an edition is not recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book; this is a stereotype edition, possibly printed after 1922). • Lublin, 1926. • Krakow, 1932. • Jerusalem, [ca. 1935]. • Mukachevo, [1940]. • New York, [1942].
Enclosed:
• 6 leaves of the Shklow 1790 edition (second edition; Stefansky Chassidut, no. 375). Leaves 51-52, 55-56, 79-80 (leaf 80 is marked 75).
• Title page of the Polonne 1804 edition.
• Last leaf of the Lviv 1849 edition (with "Secrets by the kabbalist sage… Yosef Gikatilla").
Noam Elimelech was one of the first Chassidic books, and is considered until this day to be one of the fundamental works of Chassidut. The book contains the essential part of the teachings of R. Elimelech of Lizhensk on Chassidut, purity of thought and attachment to G-d. R. Elimelech had five disciples, who disseminated Chassidut to the Jewish people: the Chozeh of Lublin, the Maggid of Kozhnitz, R. Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta, R. Izek of Kaliv and R. Mendel of Rymanów.
Since its publishing, the book was deemed sacred by all, to the extent that the author's disciple R. Mendel of Rymanów stated that only on Friday after immersing in honor of Shabbat is one able to grasp a little of the pure and lofty thoughts it contains. The Maggid of Kozhnitz would not welcome the Shabbat before he had studied his teacher's book (Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, I, p. 236). He would say that R. Elimelech would appear – after his passing – to his disciple R. Naftali of Ropshitz, to teach him Noam Elimelech (Igra Debei Hilulei, Ashdod 1999, p. 250). The Divrei Chaim of Sanz once remarked that he could compose a commentary on the Noam Elimelech just like the Beit Yosef did on the Tur, since it contained such profundity (Igra Debei Hilulei, Ashdod 1999, p. 235). Rebbe Eliezer of Dzikov once saw in a dream a house full of books, about which he was told that one book was the Noam Elimelech, and all the other books the house was filled with were commentaries to the Noam Elimelech (Ohel Elimelech, p. 80, section 193). R. Izek of Kaliv, after writing several hundreds of papers of commentary to the Noam Elimelech, heard a Divine Voice asking how he had the audacity to write a commentary to the Noam Elimelech, of which even angels and other celestial beings struggle to understand even one word or letter (Ohel Elimelech, p. 80, section 194).
Many keep the book as a segulah, and some special miniature format editions were published to serve as amulets for protection and success. Many put it at the head of an ill person as a segulah and protection, for a speedy recovery and to be saved from any misfortune. This book is known to be a segulah for women experiencing difficult labor (several Jewish hospitals throughout the world have a Noam Elimelech placed in a velvet pouch in the delivery rooms as segulah for easy births). This segulah is already mentioned in Shulchan Melachim by R. Moshe Tzvi Landau of Kleinwardein, who writes in the laws pertaining to women giving birth: "And the custom of placing a holy book wrapped in a cloth under the head of a women in labor has already become widespread – and the custom is to place the book Noam Elimelech and Or HaChochma" (pp. 38b-39a, Beregsaz 1931 edition).
32 books and another 8 leaves. Size and condition vary.