כוס הישועות של האדמו"ר משטפנשט

A Kiddush cup made of silver, bearing a portrait of the Admor of Stefanesti, Rabbi Avraham Mattityahu Friedman זצוק"ל. [Romania, late 19th – early 20th century]. Unsigned silver. A fine silver cup with rich ornamentation in floral patterns, resting on three small spheres. At its center, the portrait of the holy Admor of Stefanesti is embossed in relief, with the inscription above it: "Marele Rabin din Stefanesti" ["Marile Rabin din Shtefanesti" — the Admor's Romanian title — "The Great Rabbi of Stefanesti"]. The holy Admor Rabbi Avraham Mattityahu Friedman of Stefanesti (5608–5693; Encyclopaedia of Hasidism, vol. I, pp. 131–132), grandson of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin. His followers numbered in the many thousands, and his influence over all circles of Romanian Jewry was immense. In a halakhic responsum, Rabbi Betzalel Zev Shafran wrote of him: "And who does not know how great is the power of that holy elder of Israel, son of ancient kings, for who are kings — the Rabbis, who serves God in fear and love and fears God greatly, and is also a prince of God in our midst, the glory of our country… and no one among our brethren will dare to transgress his holy words" (Responsa HaRav"Z, vol. I, Yoreh De'ah, no. 116). Legends were told of his prayers, which lasted hours without his uttering a sound; during the Musaf prayer of Rosh Hashanah he stood bowed for two consecutive hours without moving a limb, and likewise during the "waving" of Sukkot. Many wondrous tales were known of him in his generation and in ours, of great salvations, healing of the sick, relief for the childless, and more. His remains were brought to the Land of Israel and interred in the plot of the Ruzhin dynasty Admorim at the "Nahalat Yitzhak" cemetery in Tel Aviv. His grave has become a center for prayer and salvation, and many are the stories of salvations wrought through prostration and prayer at his holy resting place. Regarding this cup of salvation, it is told that it was given to the Admor of Stefanesti after he succeeded, through the power of his prayer, in healing the sick daughter of a Jew who earned his livelihood as a goldsmith. Height: 11.7 cm, diameter: 7 cm. Good condition. Included: photographs of this cup taken previously by the Stefanesti Hasidic committee in the Land of Israel.