Page 38 - HANUKIYA

A special hannukiah
of the sage Rabbi Zvi Hirsch, son of Maran
Rabbi the Baal Shem Tov, ZTSVK"L
I purchased this filigree hannukiah
because of its exceptional crown.
When I bought it, I did not know
about its great value and heritage.
With the assistance of Rabbi Mintz Liberman of Sotheby’s,
I learned that the rare book Menorat Hannukah by M. Narkis
has a review of hannukiahs from the time of Hannukah lighting
rituals. It includes a hannukiah from 1760 style, except for the Hassidic Rabbi Shmuel of Pinsk.
Torah Ark, which is not present; instead there is an image of a
two-headed eagle (item 116).
The reason for this is that only rabbis highlighted Torah Ark
hannukiahs, and the rest of the people used the symbol of the
kind. A two-headed eagle was the symbol of Russian kingdom
at that time.
Sotheby’s Israel (December 1999 catalogue, page 6, shown
above) sold a Torah scroll plate engraved with Zvi, which was
made for a Jews named Zvi Hirsch. This hannukiah also has
an engraving of two deer, which was symbol made for a rabbi
named Zvi.
Because the hannukiah is in the style of the Baal Shem Tov and
it was made in the year 5521 (1761), immediately after the
death of the Baal Shem Tov. It turns out that it was made for
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the holy Rabbi Zvi ZTSVK"L, who continued his path, leading
the Hassidim in first year following the death of the Baal Shem
Tov. On the Shavu’ot holiday 5521, Rabbi Zvi announced that
his father had been revealed to him and told him to pass the
leadership to his student Rabbi Dov Beer of Międzyrzecz. He
immediate took off the white clothes of the Admor and put them
on the maggid of Midzyrzecz, and moved to the city of Pinsk,
the residence of his father-in-law from his second marriage,
The Torah Ark has a kind of triangle that is similar to the Torah
Ark in the Beit Midrash of the Baal Shem Tov in Midzybó, which
was the city’s old synagogue.
After hard work, the conclusions of which are brought here, Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Sofer, may he live long, and the grandson of
the Admor of Erlau, came to my home. He told me that he had
heard from Rabbi Shaul Hoteer, of blessed righteous memory,
of Antwerp had seen a picture of a hannukiah of the holy Rabbi
Zvi Hirsch, the son of the Maran Rabbi Baal Shem Tov, who had
accepted it from his followers, and was clearly engraved with
two deer. The letter is attached. I was very pleased to hear that
the results of my research had been confirmed by the veteran
God-fearing Hassidic collector fifteen years ago.