Korban Chagiga – Copy of Rabbi Meir Margolies Author of Meir Netivim, Disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and one of his ...

Korban Chagiga – Copy of Rabbi Meir Margolies Author of Meir Netivim, Disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and one of his "Sixty Warriors" – With his Signature
Korban Chagiga, treatises pertaining to the Festival offerings, and other topics in Halachah and Aggadah, by R. Moshe Galante Rabbi of Jerusalem. Venice, [1704]. First edition.
The title page bears the signature of R. Meir Margolies Rabbi of Ostroh, author of Meir Netivim: "I purchased it here Horodenka, Meir son of the great luminary R. Tzvi Hirsh".
The last leaf features Russian censor stamps. One stamp is deleted with paper stuck over it. The text of the stamp is in Russian, with the addition of the word "Ostroh" in Hebrew. Another two censor stamps, one of them from Radyvyliv.
R. Meir Margolies (1700/1708-1790), was a leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, and one of the first to cleave to him, already in 1737, before the latter became renowned. Reputedly, his teacher the Baal Shem Tov requested that he write his name in the siddur he prayed from, to enable him to mention R. Meir in prayer, and the latter did so. His signature in the siddur of the Baal Shem Tov was preserved until this day (Kevutzat Yaakov, Berditchev 1896, p. 52b; MiBeit Genazim, Brooklyn 2010, p. 230). R. Meir refers to his teacher the Baal Shem Tov in several places in his books as "my teacher" and "my colleague". In his book Sod Yachin UBoaz (Ostroh, 1794), he describes the level of learning Torah for the sake of Heaven: "…as I was instructed by my teachers who were prominent in Torah and Chassidism, headed by my friend the pious R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov… and from my youth, when I attached myself with bonds of love to my teacher and friend R. Yisrael Baal Shem Tov… I knew with absolute certainty that his conduct was in holiness and purity, piety and ascetism… occult matters were revealed to him…". In his book Meir Netivim (part II, end of Parashat Vayigash), he quotes a segulah from his teacher for dissipating anger: "I learnt from my teacher that a wonderful segulah for dissipating anger is to say the verse…". His son R. Betzalel, his successor as rabbi of Ostroh, wrote in his approbation to Shivchei HaBaal Shem Tov (Berditchev 1815 edition): "...and as I heard from my father… who from his youth was one of the Torah scholars associated with the Baal Shem Tov, and R. Meir would frequently extol his virtues…". Rebbe Yitzchak Izek of Komarno attested in his book Netiv Mitzvotecha (Netiv HaTorah, pathway 1): "Our teacher R. Yisrael son of Eliezer… he was accorded sixty warriors, souls of righteous men, to protect him, and one of them was the Meir Netivim".
R. Meir Margolies was a leading and prominent rabbi in his times. In his youth, he served as rabbi of Yazlovets and Horodenka. In 1755, he was appointed rabbi of the Lviv region, an area covering a huge territory, which included the city of Brody (R. Meir served as rabbi of the Lviv region, but not of the city of Lviv itself, which had its own rabbi. After the Partition of Poland in 1772, this region was divided between Poland and Austria, and R. Meir served as rabbi of the Polish section). In 1766, he was appointed by the King of Poland as chief rabbi of Ukraine and Galicia. In 1776, he received an official letter of appointment from the King of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski (the rabbinical appointment, in gilt letters, is preserved until this day in the Dubnow archives in New York). In 1777, he was appointed, in addition to his position as rabbi of the Lviv region, as rabbi of Ostroh and the vicinity. R. Meir was a member of the famous Brody Kloiz most of his life. He was closely attached to the Kloiz Torah scholars, and quotes their teachings extensively in his book.
The Meir Netivim was one of the foremost halachic authorities in his times in matters of Agunot. In 1768, a pogrom struck Uman and its surroundings, and thousands of Jews were murdered. This tragic episode generated numerous complex questions of Agunot. Many of the responsa recorded in his book Meir Netivim pertain to Agunot. He describes there the trepidation and anguish which overcame him whenever he approached such a question (section 62). Reputedly, he would undertake to fast on the day he was to sign on a permission for an Agunah (Meorei Galicia, III, p. 940).
R. Meir authored several prominent compositions in revealed and esoteric realms of the Torah, in Halacha and in homily. His series of books was named Or Olam, and includes his books on Halacha, homily and Kabbalah: His renowned book Responsa Meir Netivim, two parts (Polonne 1791), Sod Yachin UBoaz (Ostroh 1794), HaDerech HaTov VehaYashar (Polonne 1795) and Kotnot Or (Berditchev 1816).
The signature appearing in this book was presumably from his tenure as rabbi of Horodenka, in the lifetime of his teacher the Baal Shem Tov, ca. 1742-1754 (see his approbation from 1754 to the book Chiddushei R. Ze'ev HaLevi, Zhovkva 1771; Responsa Meir Netivim, end of section 31; Encyclopedia L'Chachmei Galicia, III, p. 939). Shivchei HaBaal Shem Tov brings a story regarding the Baal Shem Tov which R. Meir related (of the Baal Shem Tov's remarkable faith and his distribution of money to charity), an incident he personally witnessed, which took place during his residence in Horodenka (Rubinstein edition, p. 246). R. Meir would honor his father exceedingly after the latter's passing, and whenever he mentioned his father's name in his signatures, responsa and approbations, he always added the title: "The great luminary", as is seen in this signature. Moreover, in Kotnot Or (Berditchev 1816), a book which enumerates the 613 commandments in form of rhymes and acrostics, the rhymes in the section of the positive commandments are acrostics spelling "Meir son of the great luminary, outstanding in Torah and fear of G-d, R. Tzvi Hirsh".
56 leaves. 25.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Dampstains. Minor tears and worming to several leaves. Owners' stamps. New leather binding.