Rare Rebbe Maharash Manuscript Returned to the Rebbe’s Library
A rare handwritten manuscript of the Rebbe Maharash was brought to the Rebbe’s room and the Central Chabad Library today, completing a remarkable journey that spanned many years.
by COLlive Editor · COLliveBy COLlive reporter
A rare handwritten manuscript of the Rebbe Maharash was brought to the Rebbe’s room and the Central Chabad Library today, completing a remarkable journey that spanned many years.
The precious bichel of the Rebbe Maharash, who lived from 1834 – 1882, was first presented to the bochurim of the Chabad Yeshiva in Netanya, Israel. Shortly before the manuscript was transferred to New York, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Moshe Orenshtein brought it to the yeshiva, giving the talmidim the rare opportunity to see the handwritten manuscript up close.
During a six hour farbrengen, Rabbi Orenshtein recounted the extraordinary story behind the manuscript and the years-long effort to return it to its rightful home. Those present described the occasion as a true pidyon shvuyim of a bichel, as the bochurim merited to see the holy manuscript and hear firsthand how it was redeemed.
According to Rabbi Orenshtein, the manuscript had been in the possession of a dealer who acquired it from Shimon Abramsky, an Oxford University professor and the son of the renowned gaon Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky. Shimon Abramsky was known for his involvement in communist circles in the 1950s, with many communist meetings taking place in his home before he distanced himself from the movement. It is believed the manuscript may have been presented to him by one of the movement’s senior figures.
For seven to eight years, Rabbi Orenshtein maintained contact with the dealer in an effort to redeem the manuscript. During that time, the dealer became involved in a din Torah concerning one million dollars. Rabbi Orenshtein suggested that he request a bracha from the Rebbe. After the blessing was fulfilled, the dealer agreed to sell the manuscript for a price far below his original asking price.
The handwritten bichel, penned by the Rebbe Maharash himself, has now been brought to the Rebbe’s Library, where it joins the treasured collection of kisvei yad kodesh preserved in its rightful home.
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