(CHASSIDISM).

Chanina Lipa, Aryeh Leib & Joshua Heschel Shapiro

Zhitomir

1848 and 1851

Shneur Zalman Of Liadi. Likutei Torah [Chassidic discourses]. Bound in two volumes (as issued). Two titles (Vayikra and Devorim) within typographic borders, in red and black. Two divisional titles (Bamidbar and Song of Songs) within typographic borders in black. Vol. I: ff. (1). (Exodus): ff. 8. Leviticus: ff.50. Numbers: ff.(1), 96. Bound with: Hosaphoth LeSepher Likutei Torah: Haskamoth, Kitzurim and corrections. ff. 7, (2). * Vol. II: Deuteronomy: ff.(1), 100. Scroll of Song of Songs: ff. 2-51.

Vinograd, Zhitomir 42 and 91; Haberman, Sha’arei Chabad (in Alei Ayin–Schocken Festschrift), 93 and 94; Stefansky, Chassiduth 297.

According to the title, the book Likutei Torah was brought to press by two sons of R. Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (author of the responsa Tzemach Tzedek): R. Judah Leib (later of Kopyst) and R. Chaim Shneur Zalman. R. Shneur Zalman’s discourses on Genesis, Exodus and the Scroll of Esther had been issued earlier (Kopyst, 1837) under the title “Torah Or.” Nonetheless, the very beginning of Likutei Torah contains additional material to the Book of Exodus. The obvious difference in length between the two productions, Torah Or and Likutei Torah, is due to the fact that the latter has had grafted onto it a sizable amount of material from the author’s grandson, R. Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (1789-1866). His remarks are distinguished by encyclopedic knowledge and breadth, with copious references to the entire rabbinic and kabbalistic literature. The additional Hosaphoth contain the Haskamoth of Rabbis Baruch Mordechai Ettinga of Bobroisk, Yitzchak Eizik Halevi Epstein of Homel, Yitzchak Eizik of Vitebsk, Hillel Halevi Malisov of Paritch (later of Bobroisk) and others.