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Bidding Information
Lot #		23589
Auction End Date		6/9/2009 10:57:30 AM (mm/dd/yyyy)

Title Information

Title (English)

Hassidut - Tikkun ha-Middot

Title (Hebrew)

תיקון המדות

Author

R. Phinehas Korets/ R. Raphael of Bershad

City

Vranov Nad Toplou

Publisher

Samuel Singer

Publication Date

1934

Collection Information

Independent Item

This listing is an independent item not part of any collection

Description Information

Physical
Description

24 ff. octavo 155:120 mm., light age staining, not bound.

Detailed
Description

Rare rich ethical work partially based on the teachings of the sage and zaddik R. Phinehas ben Abraham Abba Shapiro of Korets collected by his disciple and successor R. R. Raphael of Bershad. Tikkun ha-Middot was compiled from Midrash Shemu’el to inflame and arouse the heart from its slumbers, to awaken the sleeper by R. Raphael of Bershad who also included the holy and pure words of his teacher R. Phinehas of Korets, as well as material from Shulhan ha-Tohor on the virtues of correct eating, making me’ah Berakhot, and giving charity. Also on the enumeration of the mitzvot according to the Ramban and Semag in who differ with the Rambam in his enumeration. Tikkun ha-Middot is divided into seven parts to that everyone can accustom himself to its contents. R. Phinehas ben Abraham Abba Shapiro of Korets, (1726–1791) was a hasidic rabbi. Born in Shklov, he later lived in Korets, but because of differences of opinion with the followers of R. Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mezhirech, he left the town around 1770. He moved to Ostrog, later settling in Shepetovka where he died. His plans to emigrate to Erez Israel were never fulfilled. Having studied Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed as a young man, R. Phinehas later gave primacy to the study of the Zohar which he considered a means of strengthening faith. He was active in small circles, and his disciples included R. Jacob Samson of Shepetovka, R. Ze'ev Wolf of Zhitomir, R. Aaron Samuel b. Naphtali Hertz ha-Kohen, and R. Raphael of Bershad. His sermons were published in various collections: Midrash Pinhas (Bilgoray, 1931), Pe'er la-Yesharim (Jerusalem, 1921), Nofet Zufim (Lemberg, 1864), Ge'ullat Yisrael (Lemberg, 1864), and Likkutei Shoshannim (Czernowitz, 1857). They appeared also in the works of his disciples: Benei Yissakhar (Zolkiew, 1850), Ve-Zivvah ha-Kohen (Belaya Tserkov, 1823), and Kodesh Hillulim (1864). Extant manuscripts of his works are preserved in Jerusalem, Cincinnati, and in private collections. A great number of his sayings are given in brief, in the original Yiddish. Although R. Phinehas met R. Israel b. Eliezer, the Ba'al Shem Tov, he should not be considered his disciple in the full sense of the word. He opposed many teachings of the Maggid of Mezhirech, mainly on the question of devekut ("devotion"). R. Phinehas, who represents the enthusiastic trend in Hasidism, prayed with particular devekut. He emphasized the special value of prayer and its influence on the upper worlds. Unlike other Hasidim, R. Phinehas held that the mitzvot should be performed for their own sake, believing that when a man observes a mitzvah, he raises the world to its highest point of origin, i.e., he abolishes its material presence. Expressing a measure of opposition to praying according to the prayer book of the "Ari" (R. Isaac Luria) with kavvanot ("meditations"), he stated that this evades the main issue: "To unite the heart to God in truth." Thus Phinehas opposed contemplative prayer, stating that man should pray explicitly for human needs, believing that God would fulfill his request. He thus opposed the custom of delaying the time of prayer, which had become widespread among the Hasidim. It is related that Phinehas praised highly the writings of R. Jacob Joseph of Polonnoye. He advised his followers not to take part in disputes with the Mitnaggedim. In Phinehas' thought, the substance of the world derives from the life force which God continuously renews and causes to flow into its midst, but we must be wary of interpreting his words as expressing pantheistic ideas. On the face of it, it is possible that this conception negates the existence of the world, but it does not render it identical with God. The Sabbath in particular is considered a day of elevating the wordly sphere, to the extent that man does not see the need to eat on that day. Because of this it is also impossible to make special preparations for the Sabbath, because "it comes from Heaven and no one knows how and what is given to it." He also emphasized the use of melodies as a means of religious expression. In matters of morals, Phinehas emphasized the importance of truth and modesty. He advocated fasting as a way to overcome evil impulses. R. Raphael Of Bershad (d. between 1816 and 1826) was a hasidic zaddik. R. Raphael was a close disciple and successor of R. Phinehas of Korets, who thought highly of him. After R. Phinehas' death many of his followers became R. Raphael's disciples. He introduced several customs and liturgical elements ("the Bershad liturgy") that differed from the accepted hasidic style and came closer to the Ashkenazi rite. His followers remained a distinct group after his death, although he had no successor. There are many legends about him and some of his sayings were published in Midrash Pinhas (1872), most of which is still in manuscript.

Paragraph 2

העתקה מס' מדרש פנחס... מהרב ... ר' רפאל מבעריטש[!] ז"ל... בשם רבו... ר' פנחס מקאריץ זצ"ל ועוד (העתקה בקיצור) מספר שלחן הטהור [לר' אהרן רוט, סאטו-מארע תרצ"ג] בענין מעלת אכילה כתקנה... המאה ברכות... צדקה... וחשבון המצות לפי"ד [לפי דעת] הרמב"ן והסמ"ג במה שהם חולקים על חשבון הרמב"ם. נחלק לשבעת הימים... להרגיל עצמו באמירתם, ולספחו אל ספר קיצור תרי"ג מצות [תרי"ג מצות, ווראנוב תרצ"ד] (שהדפסתי [המוציא לאור ר' שמואל ב"ר עזריאל יחיאל רובין])...

בעמ' אחרון: "תיקון טעות. נשמטו עפ"י טעות מס' תרי"ג מצות שהדפסתי...". חשבון מנין המצות הנז' נדפס תחילה שם.

Reference
Description

EJ; CD-EPI 0171520

Associated Images

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Listing Classification

Period

20th Century:

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Location

Russia-Poland:

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Subject

Hasidic:

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Characteristic

First Editions:		Checked
Language:		Hebrew

Manuscript Type

Kind of Judaica