Mitzraf Ha'Avoda – Zhitomir 1865 – a Hassidic Edition! – has Never been seen in Auctions!

Mitzraf HaAvoda “a debate which lasted seventy two years between two giants of the generation, one from the Hassidic community and the other from the community of the Mitnagdim … a letter by Rabbi Shneur Zalman [of Liadi] has also been added.
The printing press of the Hassid Rabbi Aryeh Leib Shapira, the grandson of the rabbi of Slavita. "Brought to the printer for the second time by the rabbinical Rabbi Meir Greenspon" Zhitomir, 1865.
On page 32, the signature of Rabbi "Pinchas the son of Yehuda Leib Av Beit Din … [Twersky?]".

A Hassidic edition
The book was first printed in Koenigsberg in 1858. Before us is the second, rare edition of this important Hassidic composition, which is unique due to it being printed by the Hassidic printing house of Zhitomir. The book has not been reprinted until recently (in 2014).
There are several differences between the first edition and the one before us. The preface was omitted as well as the beginnings of the glosses: "the typesetter said", "the author said' and the first person: "I heard", "I saw", except for one gloss: "the narrator said: thus I heard from Rabbi Se'adya the disciple of the Vilna Gaon" (pp. 23).

The importance of the book
The book explains what Hassidism is and who Hassidim are. It is edited in a format similar to that of "Ha'Kuzari", describing a “debate” between the Hassid and the Mitnaged. On the one hand there is an inquirer asking questions to find out the essence of Hassidism; on the other hand, the Hassid describes and justifies the Hassidic approach.
It should be noted that the “debate” between the Hassid and the Mitnaged, described in the book at length, never really occurred and was actually written by a Chabad Hassid by the name of Rabbi Ya’akov Kadanir for the purpose of justifying the Hassidic approach. However, the historical facts that appear in the book, for instance, that Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and his son Itzaleh studied the writing of Chabad, are undoubtedly true.
In addition, a similar composition by the same author titled "Vikucha Rabba" differs in its content and has many editions (about the fundamental differences between the two compositions, see the article by Rabbi Chaim David Aharon Tiffenborn "Vikucha Rabb o Mitzraf Ha'Avoda", Heichal Ha'Ba'asht, 30, pp. 213 and onwards).

The structure of the book
A preface most likely written by the author of the book containing a discussion about the veracity and greatness of Hassidism. (This preface does not appear in the book "Vikucha Rabba").
Correspondence between the Hassid (of the Rebbe of Amdor) and the Mitnaged regarding the version of the Ari.
A missive titled 'Viku'ach yakar al kol Darkei Ha'Chassidut' ('a dear debate about all the methods of Hassidism') including 23 questions (three of them do not appear in 'Vikucha Rabba').
The responses of the Mitnaged, who praises Hassidism.

The author
The author was the well-known Chabad Hassid Rabbi Ya'akov Bachrach of Keidan (who is also known as Yankel Kidaner), who was a Hassid of the Mitteler Rebbe and after his death, of the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzeddek.
In his youth, he studied at the yeshiva of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. When later, he became a Chabad Hassid, he travelled to Lubavitch to live near the Mitteler Rebbe. He wrote a commentary on the Tanya.

70 pp.
Condition: Good. Minor moth signs. New binding.