Auction 67 Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Sep 18, 2019 (Your local time)
Israel
 8 Ramban St, Jerusalem.
The auction has ended

LOT 150:

Siddur HaRav (Baal HaTanya) - Slavita, 1827 - Rare Edition, Hitherto Considered Lost

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Sold for: $28,000
Start price:
$ 25,000
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Siddur of year-round prayers, following the prayer-rite of the Arizal, by HaAdmor HaZaken Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Baal HaTanya. Slavita: Rebbe Shmuel Avraham Shapira, son of the rabbi of Slavita, 1827.
The title page states: "…superior to all siddurim preceding it from various prints, whether for the beauty of its print or for the precision of its proofing…".
The Slavita edition is considered one of the most precise editions of the Baal HaTanya's siddur. The siddur was printed in Slavita twice, in 1827 and in 1836 (the differences between the 1827 and 1836 editions are minute, affecting only the vocalization in a few places). According to the testimony of R. Lawat in his book Shaar HaKollel, the Tzemach Tzedek would pray from the Slavita edition of the siddur (presumably the one printed in 1836), and annotated it with his corrections and glosses.
The first edition printed in Slavita was up until now considered lost. Its existence was known only through an incidental mention in an approbation accorded to a siddur printed in Czernowitz (Chernivtsi) in 1853, which stated that this siddur was printed based on the format of siddurim printed in Slavita in 1827. As mentioned, this siddur had since disappeared.
This siddur contains several handwritten corrections to the vocalization and punctuation. The annotations correspond to those made by the Tzemach Tzedek in the margins of his siddur (which were printed at the end of the Torah Or siddur).
The printer, Rebbe Shmuel Avraham Shapira (1784-1864) was the son of Rebbe Moshe Shapira, rabbi of Slavita. His grandfather, R. Pinchas of Korets, attested before his birth that he bore a lofty soul. He studied under great Chassidic leaders, including R. Zushe of Anipoli, R. Baruch of Medzhybizh and the Saba of Shpoli. In 1836, following the infamous libel, his printing press was shut down and in 1839 he was incarcerated with his brother until 1856. Upon his release, he was appointed rebbe. The Beit Aharon, Rebbe of Karlin, reputedly then handed him a Kvittel, requesting he effectuate a salvation for his son-in-law Rebbe Avraham Yaakov of Sadigura (Sadhora).
Some of the title page letters are printed in red ink.
1-92, [2], 93-172 leaves. Lacking 3 leaves: 13, 62 and 63. 18 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains and wear. Wine stains to leaves of Passover Haggadah. Tears and damage to title page, mainly to inner margins, professionally restored, with slight damage to text. Tears and damage to many leaves, mainly to inner margins, not affecting text, professionally restored. Open tears to leaves 12, 21, 33, 49-50, 74 and leaf [1] after 92, repaired with paper, with handwritten replacement of text in a script replicating the print. Four pages from different siddurim (unidentified editions) bound at end of siddur. Ownership inscriptions. New, elaborate leather binding.
Extremely rare. The book is not listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, nor in the Vinograd-Rosenfeld CD. Does not appear in the NLI catalogue, nor in the catalogue of the Chabad library in Brooklyn.

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