Chassidut, First Edition: "Pri Etz" by Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk – Zhytomyr, 1874 – Rare

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Chassidut, First Edition: "Pri Etz" by Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk – Zhytomyr, 1874 – Rare

The holy book "Pri Etz", Chassidic teachings on the Torah and Festivals, authored by Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and leader of the Chassidic movement in the third generation (according to the will of the Maggid of Mezeritch). Printed in Zhytomyr, Bakst Press, 1874. First and rare edition.

At the beginning of the book, the will of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk was printed here for the first time, signed by his successor Rabbi Avraham of Kalisk as a witness. Both the Chassidic teachings and the will were first published in this edition.

In the title page of the second edition (Krakow, 1937), it is stated: "The holy book 'Pri Etz' on the Torah, from our holy and awesome Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, disciple of the holy Baal Shem Tov… which was first published [this edition] through the efforts of the holy Rabbi Aharon of Chernobyl, eldest son of Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl."

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk (1730–1788), a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, was a leading figure in the third generation of Chassidut. His father, Moshe, was one of the close disciples of the Baal Shem Tov and brought his son to him at the age of nine. After the Baal Shem Tov’s passing, he became a primary disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch.

After the Maggid’s passing, Rabbi Menachem Mendel was appointed leader of the Chassidim in White Russia, according to the Maggid’s will. Together with his student, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, he attempted to meet with the Vilna Gaon to dissuade him from opposing Chassidut, but the meeting never materialized.

His aliyah to Eretz Yisrael is known as "The Aliyah of the Disciples of the Baal Shem Tov", a significant Chassidic immigration of that time. After his arrival in the Holy Land, his disciple Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi assumed leadership over the Chassidim in White Russia.

His works include "Pri HaAretz" (Kopust, 1814), "Pri Etz" (Zhytomyr, 1874), and "Likutei Amarim" (Lviv, 1911). Several of his letters were printed in "Iggeret HaKodesh" (Mezhyriv, 1794).

Bibliography

Stefansky, Chassidut 491.

30 pages. 22 cm.

Condition: Fair-Poor. Ownership signatures and stamps, age stains, worming, mainly in the inner margins, unbound.