Three Books - First Editions of the Three Parts of Shaar HaTeshuva VehaTefillah, Published by the Mitteler Rebbe of ...

Three Books - First Editions of the Three Parts of Shaar HaTeshuva VehaTefillah, Published by the Mitteler Rebbe of Lubavitch in his Lifetime - Shklow and Kopust, 1817-1819
Collection of three books - first editions of the three part of Shaar HaTeshuva VehaTefillah, teachings of the second rebbe of the Chabad dynasty R. Dov Ber Schneuri - the Mitteler Rebbe. Printed in the Rebbe's lifetime. Shklow and Kopust (Kopys), [1817-1819]. 1. Shaar HaTeshuva VehaTefillah, Part I - repentance and prayer, joy and bitterness. With the Shaar HaBechira section, "Discusses matters which subdue a person's heart to complete repentance". Shklow, [1817]. [4], 84, [2]; 11, [3] leaves; 22 leaves. 17.5 cm. Leaves 49-68 bound out of sequence and out of place. Greenish paper. Overall good condition. Wear and stains. Light worming and wear to several leaves (with minor damage, repaired). Tear to leaf [2] (preceding Shaar HaBechira), affecting text, repaired with paper. Stains. New leather binding. Stefansky Chassidut, no. 586. The Bibliography of the Hebrew Book quotes the Chabad bibliographer Chaim Lieberman, who contends that the book may have been printed in Kopust and not in Shklow. In the copy listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, the sections Shaar HaTeshuva and Shaar HaBechira were bound at the beginning of the book, before Shaar HaTefillah. ([4], 22 leaves; 11, [3] leaves; 84, [2] leaves), whilst in this copy, they were bound at the end, in the following order: Shaar HaTefillah, Shaar HaBechira and Shaar HaTeshuva. 2. Shaar HaTeshuvah VehaTefillah, Part II, "regarding repentance and service of the heart". Shklow, [1818]. First edition. [2], 42, 2, 5-81, [1] leaves. 15.5 cm. Greenish paper. Overall good condition. Stains. Wear and worming. Slight damage (repaired) to title page and several other leaves. Tears to several leaves, not affecting text, repaired with paper. New leather binding. Stefansky Chassidut, no. 586. This book has several variants (to page headings of first section). 3. Derech Chaim VeTochachot Mussar Haskel… Part III of Shaar HaTeshuva - "Words of reproach, which subjugate man's heart and bring him closer to his Father in heaven, in complete repentance". Kopust: R. Yisrael Yoffe, eminent disciple of the Baal HaTanya, [1819]. First edition. In his preface to this book, the Mitteler Rebbe mentions how Chabad Chassidim cherish manuscripts, preferring them over printed books. 80, 85-88, 93-178 leaves. 16.5 cm. Greenish paper. Good-fair condition. Tears and worming, repaired with paper. Stains. Front binding detached. Stefansky Chassidut, no. 138. This book has several variants (differences in pagination). Rebbe Dov Ber Schneuri, known as the Mitteler Rebbe of Lubavitch (1774-1828) was the son of R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Baal HaTanya. After his father passed away while fleeing the French Invasion of Russia, he began serving as rabbi of Lubavitch (Lyubavichi). In his father's lifetime, he recorded the latter's teachings, and delivered public lectures based on them, even in his presence, with the addition of his own commentaries. He was gifted with brilliant profundity and an unlimited wellspring of Torah thoughts. His Chassidic discourses would extend over many hours. He had an exceptional talent for clear explanations, whether in writing or orally, and was able to clarify and simplify before laymen the most profound and abstract concepts in Kabbalah and Chassidism. He was endowed with a rare ability to concentrate, and was able to contemplate G-dly concepts for hours on end, completely unaware of his surroundings. The Lubavitcher Rebbe retold that on Yom Kippur, he would stand in his place the entire day, in devoted prayer detached from physicality, without budging, with sweat pouring from his Schtreimel. He passed away whilst delivering a Chassidic discourse. He left behind thousands of handwritten leaves, published in recent years in the Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'i series. In the beginning of his tenure, he published his father's works - Shulchan Aruch, Siddur im Dach and Biurei HaZohar. He later composed and published around ten of his own works, compositions famous for their profundity and clarity of explanation (his great and profound book Imrei Bina, was cherished by the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, who would study it before going to sleep, and quotes it in his book).