Birkat David – Lviv, First Edition – A Rare and Distinguished Copy

Birkat David – Lviv, First Edition – A Rare and Distinguished Copy

A Foundational Chassidic Work on the Book of Genesis

Authored by Rabbi Avraham David Wahrman of Buchach

Printed in Lemberg (Lviv), title page dated 1800 (Tקס"ה), actual printing date estimated as 1845 (תר"ה).

First Edition.

Anomalies in Printing & Censorship Concealment

This first edition is known for its intentional misrepresentation of printing details, likely due to censorship constraints:

Falsified printing details on the title page claim it was printed by Yehudit Rosanis in 1800, while bibliographic research suggests it was actually printed in 1845.

The colophon at the end of the book subtly reveals the true publication year through the emphasized phrase "Tehillah l’Elokei David"—a numerical allusion to 1845.

The approbations are missing, with an explicit note stating they were omitted for a concealed reason—likely another measure to obscure publication details.

This particular title page matches the third variant recorded in the Hebrew Bibliographic Project.

See: A. Yaari, "The Printing House of Rebbetzin Yehudit Rosanis in Lviv, " Kiryat Sefer, Vol. 17, 1940, p. 107, No. 43.

About the Author – Rabbi Avraham David Wahrman of Buchach (1731–1841)

A giant in both Halacha and Chassidut, Rabbi Avraham David was a prominent scholar and Chassidic leader:

Served as Rabbi of Buchach from 1814.

A disciple of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov, Rabbi Chaim of Chernivtsi, and Rabbi Zvi Hirsch of Nadvorna.

Revered for his profound erudition and piety, he authored several seminal Halachic works:

Eshkol Avraham (commentary on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim)

Da’at Kedoshim (Yoreh De’ah)

Ezer Mekudash (Even Ha’ezer)

Kesef HaKedoshim (Choshen Mishpat)

Birkat David (Chassidic discourses on Genesis).

See: Encyclopedia of Chassidut, Vol. 1, pp. 68–72 (Alfasi).

A Highly Distinguished Provenance – From the Chortkov-Ruzhin Dynasty

This exceptional copy comes from the personal collection of Rabbi David Moshe Friedman, son of Rabbi Dov Ber Friedman of Chortkov.

After Rabbi Dov Ber passed away in 1936, his son David Moshe, then only 22 years old, endured Nazi persecution during the Anschluss (1938).

Tortured by the Nazis, he managed to escape Vienna and found refuge in England.

After the Holocaust, he refused to assume the position of Rebbe and lived privately until his passing in 1988 (27 Shevat, 5748).

The book originally belonged to his father, the Chortkov Rebbe, and likely came from the holy lineage of the Ruzhin–Chortkov dynasty.

Certification will be provided upon request.

Bibliographic Reference

Stefansky, Chassidut 100.

[2], 182 leaves. 23 cm.

Good to Very Good Condition. Restoration of margins on several pages, occasionally affecting page numbers. Minor imperfections on leaves 143, 179–189. Some age stains. New half-leather binding.