Rare Noam Elimelech First Edition Offered at Auction
Genazim is offering a first edition of the Noam Elimelech, printed in Lemberg in 1788, with an opening price above $1 million.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Judaism
The auction house Genazim is offering a first edition of the Noam Elimelech, a sefer first printed in Lemberg in 1788, with an opening price exceeding $1 million. Bidding is expected to begin above that figure and could set a new record in the Jewish rare-book market.
Why it matters
Complete copies of the Noam Elimelech are extremely scarce because the sefer was handled and studied repeatedly and was used as a segulah rather than preserved as a collector's item. The sale highlights how religious texts used in daily life can become rare and highly valued objects over time.
The first edition was printed in 1788 in Lemberg and prepared by Rav Elazar and Rav Eliezer Lipa with help from Rav Zechariah Mendel of Yaroslav. Many surviving copies are missing pages or badly damaged, and the final sale price has not been reported.
The players
Genazim
Genazim is an auction house that specializes in Judaica and rare Jewish books and manuscripts.
Rav Chaim Shweid
Rav Chaim Shweid is a New York collector who owns a first-edition copy of the Noam Elimelech containing more than 150 kvitlech.
The details
The first edition includes Rav Elazar's introduction, Hisnatzlus Ben Hamechaber, along with the sections Likutei Shoshanah and Igros Kodesh, and was published after the passing of Rebbe Reb Elimelech in accordance with his instructions. Copies were repeatedly carried and studied, and Rav Chaim Shweid, a New York collector, owns a first-edition copy containing more than 150 kvitlech.
Timeline
1788: First edition printed in Lemberg.
Upcoming: Genazim auction of the first edition with an opening price above $1 million.
Culture Shift
The Noam Elimelech's copies reflect the long tradition of placing kvitlech inside sefarim, a practice that turned study texts into personal records of prayer and hope. That same use is why many surviving first editions are now incomplete and why intact copies are extraordinarily rare.
Collectors and institutions interested in Judaica may track the Genazim sale, since its result could set a benchmark for rare Jewish books. Readers who own older sefarim can check their condition, as many surviving copies are incomplete or damaged.
The takeaway
Old religious books often survive only in part because they were used daily, so their rarity reflects how they were lived with rather than how they were guarded. Anyone caring for such texts should handle them gently and document their condition.
Further reading
Explore more stories in Judaism to see how Jewish texts and traditions continue to shape communities today.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Matzav.
