Tanya, Part I; Likkutei Amarim, Approbation
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הַסְכָּמַת
APPROBATION
הָרַב הֶחָסִיד הַמְפוּרְסָם, אִישׁ אֱלֹהִי, קָדוֹשׁ יֵאָמֵר לוֹ, מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב וְרַבֵּנוּ רַבִּי יְהוּדָא לֵיבּ הַכֹּהֵן:
by the famous rabbi and chasid, G–dly man, of saintly renown, our teacher Rabbi Yehudah Leib haCohen:⁷
footnotes: ⁷ A disciple of Rabbi Dov Ber of Miezricz and a colleague of the author.
חָכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ, בִּרְאוֹתִי יְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ הַמְחַבֵּר הָרַב הַגָּאוֹן אִישׁ אֱלֹקִים קָדוֹשׁ וְטָהוֹר חָסִיד וְעָנָיו, אֲשֶׁר מִכְּבָר נִגְלָה מִסְתָּרָיו, יוֹשֵׁב בַּשֶּׁבֶת תַּחְכְּמוֹנִי אֵצֶל אֲדוֹנֵינוּ מוֹרֵינוּ וְרַבֵּינוּ גְּאוֹן עוֹלָם, וְדָלָה מַיִם מִבְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים, וְכָעֵת יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהִגָּלוֹת דִּבְרֵי קָדְשׁוֹ הַמְּחוּבָּר לְהָבִיא לְבֵית הַדְּפוּס לְלַמֵּד לְעַם ה׳ דַּרְכֵי קֹדֶשׁ, כַּאֲשֶׁר כָּל אֶחָד יֶחֱזֶה בִּפְנִימִיּוּת דְּבָרָיו.
The wisdom of the man illumines the face of the earth⁸—on seeing the work of the saintly hands of the author, rabbi and gaon, G–dly man, saintly and pure, pious and humble, whose hidden [powers] had been revealed long ago, when he dwelled in the council of the wise with our lord,master and teacher,the world gaon,⁹ and drew water from the well of living waters. Now, Israel¹⁰ shall rejoice as his saintly words are revealed in this compiled work, which is about to go to press, to teach the people of G–d the ways of holiness, as anyone can see in the inwardness of [the author’s] words.
footnotes: ⁸ Ecclesiastes 8:1. ⁹ The reference is to Rabbi Dov Ber of Miezricz, hinted also by the word “מבאר” in מבאר מים חיים—“from the well of living waters.” ¹⁰ Alluding to Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov.
וְהַמְפוּרְסָם אֵין צָרִיךְ רְאָיָה. רַק מֵחֲשַׁשׁ קִלְקוּל הַדָּבָר שֶׁלֹּא יִגְרוֹם הֶיזֵּק לַמַּדְפִּיסִים, בָּאתִי לִיתֵּן תּוֹקֶף וְאַזְהָרָה לְבַל יָרִים אִישׁ אֶת יָדוֹ וְרַגְלוֹ לִדְפוֹס עַד מֶשֶׁךְ חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים מִיּוֹם דִּלְמַטָּה. וְשׁוֹמֵעַ לִדְבָרַי אֵלֶּה – יָבוֹא עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת טוֹב.
That which is common knowledge requires no proof. Only because of the apprehension of a wrong, lest a loss be caused to the printers, I come to confer sanction and prohibition that no man lift up his hand or foot to reprint this work for a period of five years from the below date. Whoever will heed these, my words, will be blessed with good.
הֲלֹא כֹּה דִּבְרֵי הַמְדַבֵּר זֹאת לִכְבוֹד הַתּוֹרָה, הַיּוֹם יוֹם ג׳ פָּרָשָׁה תָּבֹא תקנ״ו לִפְרָט קָטָן.
These are the words of one who speaks for the glory of the Torah, this third day of the weekly portion Tavo, 556.¹¹
footnotes: ¹¹ See above, note 6.
יְהוּדָא לֵיבּ הַכֹּהֵן.
YEHUDA LEIB HACOHEN