Bidspirit auction | Extremely Rare! Sod Yachin UBoaz

Extremely Rare! Sod Yachin UBoaz – the will of R. Meir Margolies to his sons, with many profound kabbalistic and Chassidic matters. Ostroh, [1794]. First edition. - Extremely Rare! Sod Yachin UBoaz – the will of R. Meir Margolies to his sons, with many profound kabbalistic and Chassidic matters. Ostroh, [1794]. First edition. With ”approbations of great Torah scholars, famous Chassidic leaders”: R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, R. Aryeh Leib of Apta and Sochatchov, R. Zusia of Anipoli, R. Chaim of Krasni, R. Yisrael ”Maggid of Koznitz”, and others. [2], 3-22 leaves. 20.5 cm. High-quality paper. The Meir Netivim was a prolific author in both revealed and esoteric realms of the Torah, in halacha and in homily. After his passing, his writings were arranged and published by his sons. The series of his books was named Or Olam, and includes five parts (”lights”): Responsa Meir Netivim, two parts – First Light and Second Light (Polonne, 1791-1792); the two present books – Sod Yachin UBoaz (Third Light) and HaDerech HaTov VehaYashar (Fourth Light); and Kotnot Or – Fifth Light (Berditchev, 1816), the 613 commandments in rhyme and acrostics. The titles of the Fourth Light and Fifth Light are printed on the title page of Sod Yachin UBoaz. 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. Stefansky Chassidut, nos. 435 and 169.