(“The Holy Shoemaker of Tel Aviv.”) Sermons and homilies [on Chumash Devarim, Repentance, and Yithro].

RABIKOV, R. MOSHE YA’AKOV

(Tel Aviv)

n.d

Autograph Manuscript in Hebrew.

Partially Unpublished Manuscript by a 20th-century Tzadik. The author (1873-1967) was born in Lithuania and emigrated to Eretz Israel in 1913. He was a hidden Kabbalist masquerading under the guise of a shoemaker with a shop on Shabazi Street, Tel Aviv. However, he could not conceal his true character from the Chazon Ish who called R. Moshe Ya’akov “the leader of the 36 Hidden Tzadikim of our generation” and subsequently referred a great many people to him for blessing and advice. The passages of this manuscript on Devarim were published, however they contain some variances (see Likutei Rebbe Moshe Ya’akov al HaTorah, Bnei Brak, 2004). The comments on Parshath Yithro (pp. 2-6) entirely do not appear in the published version. Additionally, this manuscript provides rabbinic sources which were not included in the published version (see the comment on the verse Ve’atah Yisrael (p. 73) with Yalkut Haurim as a source). Although a Lithuanian Kabbalist who studied with R. Shlomo Elyashiv (the Leshem), the author also cites Chassidic works (see p. 9, citing R. Yisrael of Ruzhin).