Igereth HaKodesh [“The Holy Epistle”]: Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, Abraham of Kaliska and Chaim Chaikel of Hamdora. With selections by Elimelech of Lizhensk, Joseph of Ostrog and Levi Isaac of Berdichev. * Levi Isaac of Berdichev. Sepher ha-Zechirah.

(CHASSIDISM).

c.

(Zolkiew

1800)

Rashi letters; six “Zechiroth” (Remembrances) in square letters

cf. Vinograd, Zolkiew 548; Mehlman 1125; Liberman, Ohel Rache”l, p. 61, no. 4.

EARLY CHASSIDIC COLLECTION From these hortatory letters composed by the leaders of the Chassidic movement, one is able to learn much concerning the early history of the movement. Rabbi Levi Isaac's commentary to the “Six Remembrances” a Jew recites daily is a gem of Chassidic thought. Variants of the letters of R. Chaim Chaikel exist. It seems the version in our collection differs from the version of Chaim ve-Chesed (1891), a collection of the Chassidic master's teachings. See H. Rabinowicz, Lithuanian Hasidism (1970), p. 146, n. 31.