Bidspirit auction | (CHASSIDISM). Ma’aseh Nora’ah. Also known

(CHASSIDISM). Ma’aseh Nora’ah. Also known as Divrei Noam, Ma’aseh D’Rebbi Ya’akov Shimshon of Shepetovka and other names. Uncut. pp. 16. Marginal tears. Unbound. 12mo. Warsaw, 1892(?).     R. Ya’akov Shimshon of Shepetovka (d. 1801) was an early Chassidic figure. A student of the Maggid Dov-Baer of Mezeritch, R. Ya’akov Yosef of Polenoye and R. Pinchas of Koretz, he served as rabbi of Shepetovka, Slavuta and Bar before moving to Eretz Israel. He is buried in Tiberias near R. Nachman of Horodenk.          The present Chassidic tale describes how R. Yechezkel Landau, the Noda Beyehuda, deemed the first published Chassidic work, Toldoth Ya’akov Yosef, worthy of being publicly burned. Its distressed, deceased author, R. Ya’akov Yosef of Polenoye appeared to his student R. Ya’akov Shimshon in a dream, instructing him to persuade R. Landau to change his mind. R. Ya’akov Shimshon did as he was told, traveling to Prague to meet the great sage of Israel. Disguised as a pauper, R. Ya’akov Shimshon first spoke with R. Landau about homilies, successfully explaining Chassidic derashoth that R. Landau had deemed problematic, and then displayed his sharp Halachic acumen. Having impressed R. Landau, R. Ya’akov Shimshon revealed his true identity and explained why he had come. The Noda Beyehuda nodded in agreement that Chassidism was only a boon to the Jewish people, and certainly not a threat. Hearing this, R. Ya’akov Shimshon returned home, happy to have fulfilled the wishes of his master R. Ya’akov Yosef.