Physical Description:

First edition. Part I& II, [4], 116;. [1], 88 ff. quarto 244:175 mm., age staining, wide margins, corners turned. A good set bound in modern cloth over boards, rubbed..

Detailed Description:   

R. Zevi Hirsch Friedman of Lesko (d. 1874), subject of the letters, was the son of R. Aaron of Ujhely (Satoraljaujhely; d. 1816). He made many journeys to visit the zaddikim of his time, studying mainly under R. Hayyim Halberstamm of Zanz, who wrote an approbation to R. Zevi Hirsch's work Akh Peri Tevu'ah (Pt. I, 1875; Pt. II, 1876), consisting of homilies on the Pentateuch in which he quotes sayings of the Talmud, numerous teachings of the Tanya and of R. Shneur Zalman of Lyady, and the Hasidim who preceded him, as well as works written on the Lurianic Kabbalah - the system of Isaac Luria. Like other Hasidim, he considers Creation to be the result of zimzum (contraction of the Divine Emanation; see Kabbalah). The resultant paradox is that this contraction must tolerate the dialectic duality of Good and Evil because though the world was created with justice (din) the actual creation shows mercy (hesed) to its creatures. Similarly, the evil inclination was created for the benefit of man "because the principal purpose of man's creation in the world is to have free choice and overcome his inclination" (ibid.). His work, Sefer ha-Yashar ve-ha-Tov (1880), contains homilies for the Sabbath and the festivals.

Hebrew Description: