"Daat Kedoshim" – The Personal Copy of the Miracle Worker, the Holy Rabbi Meir Yosef of Kerestir; Handwritten ...

"Daat Kedoshim" – The Personal Copy of the Miracle Worker, the Holy Rabbi Meir Yosef of Kerestir; Handwritten Signature and Stamps

The book Daat Kedoshim, "To produce fruit below and roots above, " authored by the Holy Rabbi Raphael Hamburger, Av Beit Din of the Kehillot AHW. Printed in Vilna, 1878.

This is the personal copy of the miracle worker, the Admor Rabbi Meir Yosef of Kerestir, the beloved grandson and successor of the holy Rabbi Yeshaya of Kerestir.

At the center of the title page appears the sacred handwritten signature: "The humble Meir Yosef, " and on the inside of the front cover are his personal stamps: "Meir Yosef, son of the righteous Rabbi A. son of the righteous Rabbi M. Yeshaya Steiner, of blessed memory Bodrog-Kerestir."

The author, Rabbi Raphael Hamburger, was a disciple of the Vilna Gaon. He was renowned for his righteousness, and Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli was sent to bring him to the Maggid of Mezeritch. After witnessing the greatness of the Maggid, he never returned to the Vilna Gaon.

After Rabbi Meir Yosef’s marriage on 2 Kislev 1918 to the daughter of Rabbi Avraham, son of Rabbi Yeshaya of Kerestir, he lived in Kerestir and was close to his grandfather, Rabbi Yeshaya, until his passing. It is likely that Rabbi Yeshaya himself studied this rare book.

Before his passing, Rabbi Yeshaya spent a significant amount of time alone with his grandson, Rabbi Meir Yosef. Chassidim say that during this time, he appointed him as his successor. Indeed, Rabbi Avraham, his son, did not live long, and 22 months after the passing of Rabbi Yeshaya, Rabbi Meir Yosef was crowned as the Admor of Kerestir.

128 pages, 22 cm.

Condition: Good. A few wormholes. Binding from the Kerestir period.

Biography

The Holy Rabbi Meir Yosef Rubin of Kerestir [1899–1944], son of Rabbi Baruch, Av Beit Din of Berezhdivtsi, and son-in-law of Rabbi Avraham Steiner of Kerestir, the only son and successor of his illustrious father, the Holy Rabbi Yeshaya of Kerestir.

It is told that before the passing of Rabbi Yeshaya, he foresaw with divine inspiration that his son, Rabbi Avraham, would not live long to lead the community. Therefore, he placed his hands upon his beloved grandson, who, in time, would take his place and continue his sacred path. Indeed, this is what transpired—after the passing of his father-in-law on 18 Adar 1927, just 22 months after Rabbi Yeshaya's passing, Rabbi Meir Yosef was crowned as the Admor of Kerestir. His holy leadership lasted 17 years. He was renowned for the legendary hospitality of the Kerestir house, continuing the tradition of his father-in-law and grandfather. He performed miracles among the Jewish people, and divine inspiration was revealed in his Beit Midrash.

A distinctive aspect of the sacred service of Rabbi Meir Yosef of Kerestir was his wondrous miracles and open divine foresight. Below are several well-known stories, some with verifiable details of the individuals involved:

The Chassid Rabbi Yehoshua Weinstock of Kleinwardein recounted that once on the Fast of Gedaliah, Rabbi Meir Yosef told him, "I will give you provisions for your journey, " and handed him a bottle of whiskey and some food to take on his way. During his travels, he suddenly fainted. His companions, who knew that the Rebbe had given him supplies, quickly took the whiskey from his belongings, poured it into his mouth, and revived him. Rabbi Meir Yosef had foreseen all this before he even departed on his journey.

Rabbi Yehoshua Heschel Davidowitz, a ritual slaughterer in Tokaj (later living in Ramat Gan), recounted that his sister had fallen gravely ill, and doctors had given up hope. He immediately wrote a kvittel (petition) and handed it to the Rebbe. Rabbi Meir Yosef read the kvittel once, twice, and three times, whispering words to himself as he read. At that very moment, as the Rebbe blessed her for a full recovery, she suddenly began to speak a few words, though those around her could not yet understand.

Rabbi Shmuel Ze’ev Roth (1907–1989), Av Beit Din of Machzikei HaDas in Antwerp and Bnei Brak, wrote in his book Divrei Shmuel (Berachot 30):

"On the 6th of Elul 1929, I was blessed with a wedding... but on the 11th of Elul, I fell gravely ill with typhus... I was critically ill... and something wondrous happened. On Shabbat Teshuvah, amid my severe illness, I saw in a dream the holy Rabbi Yeshaya of Kerestir... I clung to his coat and said, 'Rebbe, I need a salvation.' He replied, 'I am no longer a Rebbe, for I am now in the upper world and not in this world... but you held weddings for your sons and did not honor my grandson, the current Rebbe of Kerestir, Rabbi Meir Yosef Rubin... Therefore, you must travel to Kerestir and donate 51 pengő.' On Motza’ei Shabbat, my father traveled to Kerestir, and from that moment, my health began to improve, and slowly, my strength returned. By Shemini Atzeret, I was able to leave my bed."

And we conclude with a beautiful Chassidic story:

Once, a man came to Rabbi Meir Yosef and said that Rabbi Yeshaya had appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to donate 100 pengő to his grandson to be saved. When the man replied in the dream that he did not have such a sum, Rabbi Yeshaya told him he could pay in installments. When the man left Rabbi Meir Yosef’s house, the Rebbe remarked, "Why does Zayde (Grandfather) go to the poor people? He should send the rich here instead!"