Foreword by the Copyist
With G-d's help, the words of the first copyist. This is the Sefer HaTsoref, Book of the Refiner
of Gold, found in the house of our master, our teacher the Rav Ribash, of righteous and holy memory,
and in which the following was written:
This book was composed by the perfect and revered Gaon,
through whom the spirit of the Lord spoke and His word was on his lips, the teacher Rabbi Heshel Tsoref
from the community of Krakow, who had a different spirit, as it is written: "A pure heart He has created
for me," etc.;
and from Heaven he was vouchsafed various wondrous and awesome mysteries, for all of
which he provided authority, almost every single one of them being based on a small verse in the Torah,
"Hear, 0 Israel!" When you, O reader, see them, G-d willing, in the original hand of the author
and when one looks at page 130, he will know from the contents of his manuscript that it is more than
human intelligence.
Especially as it is explained how four volumes like these were written about the verse,
Hear, 0 Israel! thus far what was written of the author. The father of the author was called Rabbi
Yosef, as explained on leaf 400, in the passage beginning with the words "You shall rule," at the end of
the passage. There it is explained that the spirit of the Messiah revealed itself in him, as I was told by
the talmudic scholar, the teacher Rabbi Shabbethai of Rashkov, may his memory be blessed, on the authority
of Ribash, in the following words:
"The year 1648 was the time of grace for the Lord... to create the
soul of Messiah." And when, on account of our many iniquities, there was an accusation against Israel,
Heaven deliver us, the author took upon himself to compose several books as an act of repentance which he
then performed.
This book is the fourth part, as the author wrote in this book several times.
The author was a tsoref, a goldsmith, as he wrote on page 409, see there. And the teacher Rabbi
Shabbethai told me that the Ribash had intended to make a copy of it. The Ribash therefore gave it to him
to copy out, but in the meantime the Ribash was summoned to heaven, and his son, Rabbi Tsvi Hirsch of
blessed memory, came and took this book from his house, until eventually this book came into the hands of
the son of Rabbi Tsvi Hirsch, the gaon Rabbi Aharon, may his light shine forth! He agreed with my teacher,
Rabbi Yeshayahu Halevi, who was a Maggid in the community of Dinovits, that a copy should
be made of this book, when he saw that this precious work was in danger of being lost as the pages were
becoming defaced. Then I, a young man sitting at the feet of the righteous, came forward and was ordered by
the teacher Rabbi Yeshayahu to copy it out. He also sent me written instructions to copy it out letter by
letter.
After the usual greetings, he informed me that, when he was in the community of Kasnitin, he had seen
the Sefer Ha-Tsoref in the home of the learned scholar and teacher Rabbi Aharon, the grandson of the Besht,
and had spoken with him about making a copy of that book and publishing it. Also, that he had mentioned there
that I could copy it out, and that they had agreed that I should live in the house of Rabbi Yeshayahu, both
on Sabbaths and on weekdays. For the above-named man had undertaken this in his presence, gladly and most
affectionately. A special room had been set aside for the writing, and if I was willing to go there, so much
the better. Such were the contents of the letter written by the teacher, the Rav and Maggid, Rabbi Yeshayahu
Halevi. For several years from the time of Rabbi Shabbethai of Rashkov, I kept on thinking how I could
succeed in carrying out this task of copying it, letter by letter, as I have now done. When I saw the book,
I found that it refers from leaf to leaf, so I decided to write it out leaf by leaf. Only, there was too
much written on the leaf, so that it was impossible to copy it exactly leaf for leaf, and I therefore chose
to transfer all the annotations on the page into the body of the text. Moreover, on every single page I
marked off the annotations between two half moons, one like this ( at the beginning, and one
like this ) at the end. And where I found yet another handwriting on the page, I marked it off
from the first by a sign like this (( at the beginning, and like this )) at the end,
to show that it was another handwriting.
Subsequently, I discovered that this was the handwriting of the author's son, as is explained on leaf
230a, see there, and this writing was so old that it was almost effaced. But Heaven granted me the privilege
to be its copyist, and with the help of the Lord, Whose loving kindness did not desert me or the learned
author, I was given the strength and good eyesight to be able to copy it. Praise be to G-d who by His grace
enabled me to see where mortal men cannot see, for the manuscript had been effaced by age. Also, the
handwriting was very small, and without G-d's help it would have been impossible to copy it.
|
But G-d was
with me and helped me. I also make grateful mention of Gaon Rabbi Aharon, the grandson of the Besht, who
lent me the book to take to my home. For when I saw how great the work was and that the task could not be
performed in a day, I was obliged by the pressure of the times to take the book home with me, since I could
not be away from my home, for without flour there is no study. Blessed be He that has helped me thus far to
copy it; and may the merits of the author, together with the merits of the Rav Ribash and of all the
righteous ones who wished to have a copy made of this book, be my support, that I may be of those that
worship the Lord with love and awe, according to His will. Such are the words of the first copyist,
Yehoshua, the son of the Teacher Aharon of Dinovits, resident in the community of Dinovits.
This book was also in the archives of the holy teacher and Man of G-d, the Rav and Maggid of Chernobyl,
of blessed and righteous memory, to whom it was left by his father the Tsaddik who had copied it from the
text that he found written in the house of the Tsaddik Rabbi Yeshayahu Halevi of Dinovits; and after his
death it was divided up by lots between three of his sons, since it was bound in three parts, the middle
part being as large as both the first and last together. It was agreed between them that, if one of the
sons wished to have it copied out for himself, then the other two would give him their parts to be copied.
The first to have a copy made was the renowned teacher Rabbi Aharon, long may he live, the son of the above
named Rav, by the copyist Mordekhai the son of Rivka of Kovel. Next came his equally saintly brother, Rabbi
Moshe, who had the good fortune to receive by lot the middle part of his father's library; this Moshe had
the first and last parts too copied out for himself, also by the above-named copyist, two being better than
one. And now the third holy sage to rouse himself was the sons' kinsman, the Rav and Teacher Rabbi Aharon of
Karlin, who desired to have a copy of this book made for him, also by the above-named copyist; and since he
was their kith and kin, he gladly, with their permission placed this holy book in his library at the disposal
of that copyist who lives here in Chernobyl.
Moreover, since the middle part as divided up by lot among the brothers, may their righteousness protect
us! contains twice as many pages as the other parts, as can be seen from its thickness, and since it is hard
to carry, the copyist divided it into two – the first time in the copy of the renowned teacher Rabbi
Aharon, and again now, making twice altogether. All the parts appear pleasingly equal in size and evoke the
admiration of all beholders for the excellent work, since they are all almost the same in shape and size
and all together contain the pure teaching of the Lord, for they all form parts of one whole. By the merits
of the author, may it speedily be granted us to say "Behold, this is our G-d! And may the reader walk in the
straight path and comprehend the words rightly.”
Postscripts by the Copyists
Copyist number 1:
Thus far the manuscript of the author, the gaon and teacher,
Rabbi Yehoshua Heshel the son of Rabbi Yosef of Krakow, and I have copied it as I found it and as I have
explained at the beginning of the transcript. Therefore this is the end of this copy, which is the second
copy, on the fifth day of the week, Portion of the Law Reeh, the 28th of the month Menahem Av, in this year
542 [that is 5542 or secular year 1782], by Yehoshua, the son of the teacher and Rav Rabbi Aharon, may his
light shine forth, of Dinovits, resident in the holy community of Dinovits.
Copyist number 2:
And now I, the copyist Mordekhai, the son of Rivka, offer praise to G-d Who has granted me to copy this,
the fourth and last part of the Sefer HaTsoref, and has helped me to complete it. I trust that G-d will
raise me up and again have mercy on me and speedily deliver us; and that the merit of the author will
powerfully protect us, that we may not be found wanting in anything, for this book was divided into four
parts on account of its size and thickness. May the merit of the author be with us forever, that this book
may be among the books of the righteous whose names are enshrined in this book; and we and our children and
our children's children will worship the Lord and keep His commandments and laws and cleave to Him, Blessed
Be He.
|
