A Rare and Magnificent Copy – Tikunei Zohar, Slavuta 1821
Tikunei Zohar, printed with great beauty and reverence at the esteemed and holy press of the Rebbe, Rav Moshe Shapira, Av Beis Din of Slavuta, son of the holy Rav Pinchas of Koretz, Zy”a, in 1821. There are opinions that this edition of Tikunim was the first to be printed in Slavuta, while others say it was already printed in 1817.
This particular copy is exceptionally beautiful, with wide margins. Part of the title page is printed in red ink. In some Slavuta sefarim, the letter "Shin" in Rebbe Moshe’s name is printed with a special "twist, " and in this sefer, the "Shin" in "Shapira" is similarly printed. The sacred sefer retains its original Slavuta leather binding, with a new leather spine crafted in an antique style.
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"The true tzaddik who illuminated the eyes of Yisrael, " writes the holy Maggid, Rav Mordechai of Chernobyl, about Rav Moshe of Slavuta, "For more than forty years in all the places where Yidden dwell, he did only good for Yisrael with his magnificent printing press, producing both large and small sacred sefarim, new and old, on beautiful paper with letters shining like stars."
Indeed, it is well known that the letters used in the press were crafted by Rav Moshe himself from silver! Before using them, he immersed them in a mikveh for purification.
The sefarim printed in Slavuta were renowned not only for their beautiful printing and meticulous proofreading but also because, unlike other presses, no secular or foreign books were printed in Slavuta. The workers were, for the most part, G-d-fearing and pure.
Even in later generations, tzaddikim marveled at the great merit and importance of learning and davening from sefarim printed with such kedushah and taharah.
As the Rebbe, the author of Shomer Emunim, wrote in his sefer Taharas HaKodesh:
"Every Yarei Shamayim should endeavor to acquire old sefarim … especially from the Slavuta and Zhitomir presses, established by the descendants of the holy Rav of Koretz, who were exalted tzaddikim."
The sefer Tikunei Zohar is renowned by tzaddikim of all generations, especially by the holy Arizal, as being a powerful tool for rectifying the soul and one’s deeds. It is a well-known minhag among Klal Yisrael to recite and study it during the months of Elul and Tishrei, the days of mercy and selichos.
