The Ribnitzer Rebbe's Kiddush Cup

The Ribnitzer Rebbe's Kiddush Cup
"I will raise a cup of salvations"

Kiddush cup which belonged to the Admo"r of Ribnitz, the Admo"r Rabbi Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz, with which he made kiddush on Shabbat and on Yom Tov over an extended period. First-rate ritual object which belonged to one of the unique tzaddikim of recent generations.

Magnificent kiddush cup with matching lid and plate, also silver (total weight: almost half a kilogram of pure silver). The base of the goblet is in the form of a stalk with four leaves. The surface of the goblet, its lid and the rim of the plate bear breathtaking matching decorations of abstract designs made by cutting, embossing and engraving. The handle of the lid is designed in the shape of a flower. Regal goblet, with a design inspired by goblets used by the Admo"rs of Ruzhin (possibly bought due to the Rebbe's closeness to the Rebbe of Stefanesht, see below). The goblet before us was given to the Rebbe as a "kvittel" - a note for salvation. The name of the giver and his mother's name "Chaim Tzvi ben Raizel" are etched on the goblet and on the platter. It was given to the Rebbe in New York, and due to his affection for this magnificent ritual object -'This is my G-d and I will beautify him' ['זה א-לי ואנווהו'] - he brought it with him when he ascended to the Land of Israel in 1976.

As is known, he made kiddush on wine on Shabbat at night with intent for the upper worlds. Tzaddikim through the generations would gaze into the distance during kiddush, when they would work supernatural salvations. This is renowned and famous all through tales of Chassidim. The source for this is in the Zohar (in the passage customarily recited before kiddush) הַאי קִדּוּשָׁא... דְּאִתְכְּלִילָן בְּהוּ רָזָא דְּסַהֲדוּתָא דְּעוּבְדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית. דְּהַיְנוּ וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם וְגו'... וְאִית בֵּיהּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה וְרָזָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה וְרָזָא דְּכָל מְהֵימְנוּתָא...וְכָל מָאן דְּיַסְהִיד דָּא... מְכַפֵּר עַל כָּל חובוי. [Free translation: Kiddush contains secrets of Creation, and secrets of the upper and lower worlds, all the secrets of faith. All the iniquities of those who say it with intent are atoned.]

Many segulahs are attributed to the kiddush cup, such as healing the eyes - a person whose eyes have become weak can be healed by drinking the cup of wine on Shabbat (Chaza"l in Tractate Berachot); general success through the week - when a person says kiddush with joy and drinks its wine with joy, this has great and many effects throughout the week. All the more so, a cup that belonged to such a lofty tzaddik, who would make kiddush with it every week. There is a known statement attributed to the Ar"i that the numerical value of cup is L-rd (כוס' = בגימטריה 'א-להים').

The Admo"r Rabbi Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz [1898-1996] was known as "The Ribnitzer Rebbe" or "The Rimnitzer Rebbe." He was wondrously righteous and holy. It was said about him that he was "a tzaddik from previous generations." He was orphaned of his father at the age of two and a half. The wondrous tzaddik Rabbi Avraham Matityahu Friedman, "the Rebbe of Shtefanesht, " who did not have any children of his own, adopted him and raised him as his own son. He would say to him, "You are my chiddush."

He was totally dedicated and nothing deterred him from fulfilling a mitzvah. He would devotedly circumcise Jewish children in Communist Russia - even the sons of senior government officials, occasionally without their fathers' knowledge. A well-known story: Once, the wife of a senior officer in the Red Army asked the Rebbe to circumcise her son, without her husband's knowledge. He went there with his friend, the Chaba"d mashpi'ah Rabbi Mendel Futerfas. Rabbi Mendel was the sandak and the rebbe was the mohel. After the circumcision, the baby did not stop bleeding and the mother started crying out loudly. The four of them were in mortal danger. The rebbe threw his tallit over himself and the baby together and prayed: "Master of the Universe, I came here to observe your mitzvah. Please do not shame me." And the baby miraculously stopped bleeding.

The rebbe would break through the layer of ice above the lake, and though the resulting hole, he would immerse himself in the river underneath, taking the mortal risk that he might not find the hole again to make his way back up. Until his old age, he used to immerse himself many times in the mikveh, and would do so astonishingly quickly.

In Russia, the Ribnitzer Rebbe had two close friends with whom he studied many Talmudic topics. (He attested that at 18 years old, he knew the entire Talmud with Rash"i's commentary.) All three friends eventually became leaders among the Jewish people: the Rebbe, the Admo"r of Skver, ztz"l, and the Admo"r of Skulen, ztz"l.

He was known as having Divine inspiration and as being a salvation-worker. Thousands came to him and were saved through his blessings. He passed away at an advanced age, close to a hundred years old. Masses visit his grave in Monsey on the day of his yahrtzeit, as well as other days of the year.

A signed confirmation from his attendant, Rabbi Ben Tziyon Adler, that the Rebbe used this goblet over an extended period, is included with this lot.

Weight: 435 grams. Very fine condition.

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