Biurei HaZohar - Kopust, 1816 - First Edition - Copy of Rabbi Shlomo son of R. Meir Rafaels of Vilna, Disciple of ...

Biurei HaZohar - Kopust, 1816 - First Edition - Copy of Rabbi Shlomo son of R. Meir Rafaels of Vilna, Disciple of the Baal HaTanya and the Mitteler Rebbe
Biurei HaZohar, commentary to the Zohar, by Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi - the Baal HaTanya. Kopust (Kopys): R. Yisrael Yoffe, foremost disciple of the Baal HaTanya, [1816]. First edition. Bound with Hosafot LeSefer Biurei HaZohar, a booklet of 21 leaves appended to the second edition (Lviv, 1861). A fundamental book clarifying many concepts of the Arizal's Kabbalah, according to Chassidic teachings. Commentaries to the Zohar, which the Baal HaTanya imparted to his sons and the elite of his disciples, on Shabbat eve, recorded by his son R. Dov Ber, the Mitteler Rebbe of Lubavitch. The Baal HaTanya taught these commentaries from 19th Kislev 1801, until his final years. This book contains only a quarter of his commentaries to the Zohar (as his son writes in the foreword). The title page states: "…and for the most part these holy writings were reviewed by the Rebbe, and he was very satisfied with them". In the foreword, his son the Mitteler Rebbe - R. Dov Ber (Schneuri) of Lubavitch describes the contents of the commentaries in the book: "…which we heard from his holy mouth, every Shabbat eve, commentaries and explanations of the essays of the Zohar, one leaf from every portion, for several years, and it is plainly visible to all that Divine Inspiration rested upon him as he revealed the light of the secrets of the Torah, in particular in his explanations of the essays, he attained their absolutely true meaning. As I heard directly from him, more than once, that throughout his life, he specifically set Shabbat as the time for studying Zohar … and he attested on himself that he only studies each Shabbat one or two leaves, but in great depth, with great toil, and investigating each word, to reach the true understanding of Kabbalah…". At the end of the foreword, the Mitteler Rebbe describes the method of writing and arranging the book: "It is known to all those who study my father's teachings, that none of the writings contain anything of my own, except when explaining and clarifying in places where he was concise, and even that was taken from his teachings, when he elaborated further in other places…". Rebbe Eliezer Tzvi Safrin of Komarna writes in his preface to his commentary Damesek Eliezer on the Zohar, that one of the books which were before him while he composed his commentary was the Biurei HaZohar by R. Dov Ber, son of R. Shneur Zalman. On the last leaf of the first book (p. 57b of the second pagination), handwritten signature of R. "Shlomo son of Meir Rafaels". Many ownership inscriptions on the front and back endpapers, attesting that the book belonged to R. Shlomo son of R. Meir Rafaels of Vilna. Additional ownership inscriptions in Lithuanian and Hebrew: "Szalom Meyrowucz" (presumably referring to the above-mentioned R. Shlomo son of R. Meir); "Belongs to the young man Dov Ber son of Shlomo"; "Jicchok Eliesowiz" - several ownership inscriptions of R. Yitzchak Isek son of R. Eli; "Boruchowiz Morduchay"; and others. R. Shlomo Rafaels-Yoffe (b. 1774) was a prominent Chabad Chassid in Vilna. Together with his father R. Meir Rafaels, he was a renowned figure in Chabad history, and in the polemic in Vilna surrounding Chassidism. His father R. Meir Rafaels-Yoffe was amongst the prominent and well-known disciples of the Baal HaTanya, and founded the Chassidic prayer service in Vilna in the 1790s. R Shlomo himself was a disciple of the first three Chabad rebbes: the Baal HaTanya, his son the Mitteler Rebbe, and his grandson the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch. Beit Rebbi (Berditchev, 1902) relates regarding R. Shlomo Rafaels, that as a prominent Chasid of the Baal HaTanya, during the controversy between Chassidim and their opponents in Vilna, in 1796-1799, he suffered extensive damage, people came to his wine cellar and poured out all his wine, yet G-d replenished his loss swiftly. Sipurim Nora'im (Lemberg 1875), by R. Yaakov Keidner, quotes several wondrous accounts about the Baal HaTanya, as heard from R. Shlomo Rafaels, who witnessed them personally. [4], 139; 57 leaves; [12], 13-20, [1] leaf. 25 cm. Greenish paper, wide margins. Condition varies, good to good-fair. Tears to title page, affecting text. Stains and wear. Original leather binding, damaged. Stefansky Chassidut, no. 79.