Kotnot Or – By Rabbi Meir Margolies, Author of Meir Netivim, Disciple of the Baal Shem Tov – First Edition – ...

Kotnot Or – By Rabbi Meir Margolies, Author of Meir Netivim, Disciple of the Baal Shem Tov – First Edition – Berditchev, 1816
Kotnot Or, the 613 commandments in rhyme and acrostics, by R. Meir Margolies Rabbi of the Lviv region and Ostroh, author of Meir Netivim, a leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov. With the Shemen LaMaor HaGadol commentary, by his son R. Betzalel Margolies Rabbi of Ostroh (who added at the beginning of the book a special prayer which he composed, to be recited before saying the order of commandments). [Berditchev (Berdychiv): Shmuel son of Yissachar Ber Segal, 1816]. First edition.
Kotnot Or contains the order of the 613 commandments in poems, rhyme and acrostics. "Each commandment has three stanzas and each stanza three words". The section on positive commandments is named Kotnot Or, and the section on negative commandments, Or Torah. All the poems in the section of positive commandments are acrostics spelling out: "Meir son of the great luminary, outstanding in Torah and fear, R. Tzvi Hirsh" (in some poems, "renowned" replaces "outstanding"), whilst the poems in the section on negative commandments are acrostics of "Meir, small in wisdom and intellect". On the right-hand pages, twenty lines of rhymes are printed, one line per commandment.
A commentary to the rhymes, named Shemen LaMaor HaGadol, is printed at the foot of the right-hand pages and on the left-hand pages. This commentary was composed by the publisher and son of the author – R. Betzalel Margolies Rabbi of Ostroh. The publisher R. Betzalel, who also wrote a lengthy foreword to the book, suggests there to read every day one page containing twenty commandments, and he even printed at the beginning of the book a short supplication to recite before reading the commandments.
At the beginning of the book, a notice is printed, informing that due to the heavy costs of printing, the approbations were not printed, and only the names of those who accorded an approbation to the book are listed, including R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, R. Zusha of Anipoli, the Maggid of Kozhnitz, the Ohev Yisrael of Apta, R. Yosef of Kaminka and others.
This book in the fifth part ("Fifth Light") of the Or Olam series, printed by the author's son R. Betzalel Margolies. The other parts of the series are: Responsa Meir Netivim, two parts – First Light and Second Light (Polonne, 1791-1792); Sod Yachin UBoaz – Third Light (Ostroh, 1794); and HaDerech HaTov VehaYashar – Fourth Light (Polonne, 1795). The titles of the Fourth Light and Fifth Light already appear on the title page of Sod Yachin UBoaz, printed some 22 years before this book.
The author, R. Meir Margolies (1700/1708-1790), a prominent rabbi in his times, was a leading disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, and one of the first to cleave to him, even before the Baal Shem Tov became famous. R. Meir is considered a "colleague-disciple" of the Baal Shem Tov and mentions him in several places as "my teacher" and "my friend". In his book Sod Yachin UBoaz (Ostroh, 1794), he writes of "my teachers, prominent in Torah and Chassidut, 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…". His son R. Betzalel, who succeeded him as rabbi of Ostroh, writes in his approbation to the book Shivchei HaBaal Shem Tov (Berdichev 1815 edition): "…as I heard from my father… who from his youth was part of the holy entourage of the Baal Shem Tov, and R. Meir would frequently speak in his praise…". See item 116 for an extended biography.
Ownership inscription on title page: " This book belongs to R. Yaakov HaLevi of Kaminka".
34, [1] leaves. Approx. 22 cm. Greenish paper. Exceptionally wide margins (some uncut). Uneven edges. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Dampstains. Worming, some repaired, slightly affecting text. Small tears and creases to margins. New leather binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 247.