Bidspirit auction | Manuscript, Lengthy Responsum by the
Manuscript, Lengthy Responsum by the Yismach Moshe – Noteworthy, Unpublished Passage: ”…I am Always Like a Doorsill to be Tread Upon, Ready to Respond to Whoever Asks” – Lengthy Gloss Handwritten and Signed by His Grandson and Disciple, the Yitav Lev, Rebbe of Sighet – Sighet, 1866 - Manuscript, four leaves (eight pages), responsum regarding philosophy and Kabbalah, by R. Moshe Teitelbaum Rabbi of Ujhel (Sátoraljaújhely), author of Yismach Moshe. Written by a scribe. With a 10-line gloss handwritten and signed by his grandson and disciple, Rebbe Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum Rabbi of Sighet (Sighetu Marmației) – author of Yitav Lev. [Sighet, 1866?]. Four large (consecutive) leaves, written on both sides (two columns per page). This responsum by the Yismach Moshe explains an impenetrable sentence in the foreword to Sefer HaRokeach by R. Elazar of Worms. The Yismach Moshe explains the meaning of this sentence using various approaches – Derush, Remez and Sod. This lengthy and profound thesis covers many topics, such as the topic of the closeness of the soul to G-d in This World and the Next, and other kabbalistic concepts. It includes many quotes and references to dozens of research, philosophical, homiletical and kabbalistic works. The Yismach Moshe confronts the views of philosophers on these topics with those of kabbalists, and proves that the opinion of the kabbalists is correct. At the end of this responsum, the editor, his grandson and disciple, the Yitav Lev, added a 10-line gloss in his handwriting, in which he explains the meaning of the passage in the Rokeach in a simpler way, based on what the Rokeach wrote elsewhere in his book. The gloss is signed: ”So it seems to me, Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum”. The gloss contains one line which the Yitav Lev crossed out (this line was indeed not printed). The deleted line also bears his signature. The body of the responsum contains several words and markings handwritten by the Yitav Lev, as part of his editing and preparing the text for print. This responsum was composed during the Yismach Moshe's tenure as rabbi of Shinova (Sieniawa), in 1791-1808. The responsum opens: ”Responsum for the capital city of Warsaw”. This responsum was first published after the passing of its author, the Yismach Moshe (Tammuz 1841), in Lviv 1866, at the beginning of his responsa work Heshiv Moshe, with the gloss of the Yitav Lev at the end of it. There are slight textual variations between the printed text and the text of the present manuscript, both in the main responsum by the Yismach Moshe, and in the gloss of the Yitav Lev. Additionally, in the printed responsum, an entire paragraph was omitted by the editor, the Yitav Lev. This paragraph is found at the end of this manuscript responsum. The Yismach Moshe wrote: ”I do not usually reply on these matters (kabbalah) in letters, only orally. Only on halachic matters of divorce and Chaliztah, agunot, Sotah, kashrut, laws of Shabbat and Yom Tov, monetary laws, and other laws, I am always like a doorsill to be tread upon, ready to answer to whoever asks, as if a man inquired of the word of G-d and far from me to withhold”. This passage was crossed out by the Yitav Lev. To the best of our knowledge, this passage was never published. The Yitav Lev inherited all the writings of his grandfather, the Yismach Moshe (writings which were not edited nor prepared for print), and arranged to have them transcribed, edited and prepared for print, with the addition of his glosses and notes. In 1849-1861, he published the five volumes of Yismach Moshe on the Torah. He delegated the task of editing the rest of his grandfather's writings to his son-in-law, R. Yisrael Yaakov Yukel Teitelbaum Rabbi of Gorlitz, who edited and published Responsa Heshiv Moshe, and to his grandson R. Moshe David Rabbi of Laposch, who edited and published Tefillah LeMoshe on Tehillim and Yismach Moshe on Neviim and Ketuvim. [4] leaves (8 pages). Consecutive leaves. 42 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. R. Moshe Teitelbaum, Rabbi of Ujhel (1759-1841), was an illustrious Chassidic leader in Hungary and Galicia. An outstanding Torah scholar and G-dly Kabbalist, sharp and proficient in all facets of Torah, revealed as well as hidden. During his lifetime he was renowned as a holy G-dly man and a wonder-worker benefiting from Divine Inspiration. He first served in the Shinova (Sieniawa) rabbinate from 1785-1808, and in 1808, was appointed rabbi of Ujhel (Satoraljaujhely) and its region. During the first half of his life, R. Moshe was an opponent of Chassidut, and in his youth, he travelled to Vilna to study Torah from the Vilna Gaon (R. B. Landau, HaGaon HeChassid MiVilna, p. 291, in the name of R. Zalman Weber. The Klausenburg Rebbe cites an interesting testimony from that visit, which his great-grandfather the Yismach Moshe related about the conduct of the Vilna Gaon with his disciples – Responsa Divrei Yatziv, Part IV, Yoreh De'ah, section 131). Over the years, R.