A sensational Chabad discovery! Mishnayot Seder Kodashim of the 'Chozer', the Shadar and the Chavruta of the ...

A sensational Chabad discovery! Mishnayot Seder Kodashim of the 'Chozer', the Shadar and the Chavruta of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Maharash, the Gaon Rabbi Dovber HaLevi Ashkenazi of Kalisk [Rabbi Berel Kalisker], grandfather of the Grach Na'eh and one of the Chabad leaders in Hebron.

Mishnayot Seder Kodashim Mishnayat. Stettin, 1863 [1863]. With the glosses of the Gra and his son Rabbi Avraham and chiddushim from Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev,   Rabbi Yeshaya Berlin and more.

On the first two title pages, the flyleaf, the last page, the inside covers (both front and back) are many signatures and records of ownership - among them are those of the 'Chozer', the Shadar and the Chevruta of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Maharash, the Gaon Rabbi Dov Ber Halevi Ashkenazi of Kalisk (there may be signatures of other members of his family as well) - there is another signature on the cover of "Dov Ber Kazarnawski".

All of his writings and manuscripts, including the 'Hanachot' from the Zemach Tzedek, perished in the fire except for a very few remains.

There has never been anything from him at public auction!

On page 2 there is a handwritten gloss.

Rabbi Dov Ber HaLevi Ashkenazi (known as Berel Kalisker, ? - Hebron, 1899): was a 'Chozer' of the Admor the Tzemach Tzedek and Admor the Maharash. And for a certain period he as a chevruta of the Maharash. He also served as Shadar of the Tzemach Tzedek, and even had the privilege of serving him for a period of time when his personal assistant Rabbi Haim Dov could not fulfill this role. His great-grandson, Rabbi Dov Ber Eliezerov, said that Rabbi Berel Kalisker was well versed in six hundred articles of Hasidism that he heard from the Tzemach Tzedek. Similarly, it is said that when he recited from articles of Hasidism, he repeated exactly as he had heard them and his movements perfectly matched the Rebbe's movements during these recitations. There are 'Hanachot' of Rebbe Dov Ber from the ma'amarim of the Tzemach Tzedek with the glosses of the Maharash.

He immigrated to the Holy Land in the year 1877, and settled in Hebron. Over the years, he was one of the leaders of the Chabad community there. He taught special lessons with his grandson Rabbi Avraham Haim Na'eh. In his home in Hebron, he kept a set of Hanachot written by the Tzemach Tzedek.

His brother, Rabbi Avraham Ashkenazi was rabbi of the town of Rudnya during the days of the Zemach Tzedek and the Maharash. His daughters married Rabbi Shlomo Yehuda Leib Eliezerov, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Neah and Rabbi David Zvi Aryeh Schneerson.

Stettin, 1863.

[3] 171 leaves - with 3 title pages - the first title page is yellow. 22.5 cm. Good condition. Moth holes. Nice old cover.

A pedigreed copy of one of the greatest leaders of Chabad Chassidim of all generations, the 'Chozer' of the Zemach Tzedek and the Maharash.