Lot 120
Der Besht un die Neshamah – Three Draft Leaves with Additions and Glosses by Rebbe Rayatz – Over 50 Lines Handwritten by the Rebbe
Der Besht un die Neshamah (The Baal Shem Tov and the Soul), three draft leaves of a story told in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, with glosses and additions by Rebbe Rayatz. [Brooklyn NY, 1943]. Yiddish.
Three typewritten leaves (typewritten on recto only), with over fifty lines handwritten by Rebbe Rayatz, and many in-text and marginal additions, glosses, emphases and emendations (in pencil and pen).
Der Besht un die Neshama is the remarkable story of the wondrous birth of R. Aharon of Karlin, recounted in the name of the Baal Shem Tov. These draft leaves of the story were given to Rebbe Rayatz for proofreading before it was published in the Yiddish monthly for children and youth Shmuessen mit Kinder un Yugend (Talks and Tales; printed in Vol. I, Tammuz 1943 issue, no. 8 [20], pp. 6-8. Translated to Hebrew under the title "Neshamah min HaShamayim" and printed in Sichot LaNoar, V, issue 3, pp. 271-272). Below the typewritten text on the third page, the rebbe wrote in his handwriting "lacking end" (of story), and added (in his handwriting, at the bottom of this page and on verso) the rest of the story until its conclusion, as well as the lessons to be learned from it (seven points in the name of the Baal HaTanya. This part was not printed in Shmuessen mit Kinder un Yugend). At the foot of the first leaf, the rebbe added another three lines in his handwriting, explaining the moral to be drawn from the story.
[3] leaves. Approx. 28 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Creases and minor tears to margins and folds (not affecting text). Minor stains.
