Rabbi Shabtai of Rashkov's Siddur. Rare First Edition of the First Chassidic Siddur

Rabbi Shabtai of Rashkov's Siddur. Rare First Edition of the First Chassidic Siddur

Seder Tefillah L'Kol HaShanah im Kavanot HeAr"i - siddur in nusach Sephard with the Ar"i's intentions and customs, intentions and unifications from the G-dly Ba'al Shem Tov, with glosses and "Dikdukei Sofrim" by the gaon Rabbi Shabtai of Rashkov, Koritz, 1794. First edition of Siddur Rabbi Shabtai. Incomplete copy.

This is the first Chassidic siddur! Just a few years after printing this siddur, siddurim began to be printed in an Askenazic version with the Ar"i's intentions, and Chassidic tzaddikim began to pray from those. However, this is the first siddur in nusach Sephard that has unifications and customs from the Ba'al Shem Tov added to it.

Rabbi Shabtai of Rashkov, the renowned Kabbalist who was one of the members of the Ba'al Shem Tov's "heichal, " arranged the siddur according to the Ar"i's intentions and with supplements from the Ba'al Shem Tov.

This siddur was very sought-after by tzaddikim, and even before it was printed, it was known and many yearned to pray from it. As the Ba'al Shem Tov's disciple, Rabbi Yosef Moshe of Mezeritch, wrote in his approbation to this siddur, 'I have already heard that many complete and reverent tzaddikim of our generation desire and yearn to quench their thirst and finally see this siddur, as it is so hard to find, especially as it contains several innovations and unifications from my rabbi and teacher, the light of the Jewish people ... the Ba'al Shem Tov, ztzllh"h.'

We will note what has been brought, that Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin said that this siddur is his vitality. It is also related among Chassidim that the siddur's manuscript was hidden in a lit oven and did not burn. [Refer to  Magdil Yeshuot page 70, and  Even Shetiyah HeChadash II page 448.]

Kabbalistic diagrams.

This copy includes weekday and Shabbat prayers.

Specifications: Leaves 33-319 [lacking  2 leaves in the middle, 168-169] and also leaves 4, 9, 11 and leaf 24.16 cm.

(The complete siddur includes: 344 leaves for weekdays and Shabbat, 62 leaves for festivals, and 99 leaves for the high holidays.) Stefansky, Chassidut 412.

Fine condition. Aging stains. Not bound.