Kabbalistic Siddur Used by the Talmidim of the Baal Shem Tov
Siddur Rav Asher.
Lvov, 1787
Nusach Sfard siddur with the kavanos of the Arizal, edited by the saintly kabbalist Rabbi Asher Margalios of Brod. This siddur was printed in Lvov in 1787 in the printing press of Rabbi Shlomo Yarish Rappaport by the same pious workers who published the first edition of ‘Noam Elimelech’ that same year. According to tradition, these pious employees were among the 36 hidden tzaddikim of that generation.
One of the most important kabbalistic and chassidic siddurim, it is exceedingly rare to find this siddur fully intact and in such good condition.
The siddur, which includes the kavanos of the Arizal, is an enhanced edition of the Siddur Ari printed in Zolkova 1781 by the kabbalists of Brod. This edition contains amendments and additions based on ‘Sefer Hayichudim LeHa’Ari’, ‘Eitz HaChaim’, ‘Machberes HaKodesh’, ‘Pri Etz Chaim’ by Rabbi Chaim Vital and Siddur Rav Shabsi of Rashkov (which was still in manuscript form at the time.)
In their haskamos, the sages of the Kloiz inscribe that Rabbi Asher Margolis “has a hand and name in the wisdom of Kabbalah.” The holy Divrei Chaim of Sanz also wrote a haskamah to this siddur, whose teachings the author incorporates into his annotations.
Other haskamos to this siddur were delivered by the Rebbes Rabbi Yissachar Dov of Zlotchov and Rabbi Moshe of Pshevorsk.
The great chassidic masters cherished Rabbi Asher’s siddur and were meticulous about praying from it. One of the earliest and most authentic testimonies is found in ‘Imrei Pinchas Hashalem’ (Vol. 1, pp. 223–224), attributed to Rabbi Yaakov Shimon, son of the holy Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz:
"Therefore, one should pray only with the Arizal’s nusach printed in Lviv or with Rabbi Shabbsai’s siddur, and not with the other versions found in the newer siddurim."
It continues: "Their siddurim were the Arizal’s nusach printed in Lviv, and they refused to pray from any other siddur because the Rabbi, of blessed memory [referring to the holy Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz], also prayed from this siddur, which was very dear to him."
These accounts underscore the special significance and preference given to this particular siddur in chassidic tradition.
The Chasam Sofer was also known to daven from a handwritten manuscript of Rabbi Asher’s Siddur HaAri. (See Otzros HaSofer, 19, p. 179)
Lvov, 1787. First Edition.
Page Count: [398] leaves.
Page size: 17 cm.
Three Sections in One Volume. Contains three sections, with three separate title pages: prayers for weekdays, Shabbos, and festivals (without page count). At the end of each section, the names of the printers are listed.
Condition: Minimal repairs to the title page, slight stains, primarily faint wine stains on the pages of the Pesach Haggadah. Bound in an old, worn half-leather binding.
Bibliography: Stefansky, Sifrei Chassidus #414; Sifrei Yesod #425
