הקדמה

I will not betray my words, nor will I tell anything but the truth, in order to express what has always been in my heart and my thoughts, to glorify my father and my honored teacher, the great and famous man of God, the holy Boutsina D’Nehora, whose name is sweet and revered—our master, the venerable Rabbi Elimelech (may his memory be blessed), may his name be sanctified. When they were here, almost like a temple, gathering the holy congregation of Israel to hear the words of the living God flowing from that holy mouth, the honorable words of my father would pour forth like sweet honey. Each one of them would find therein the direction for their soul and heart on how to serve the Eternal, according to their intellect and level. Many eagerly drank his holy words so that they would be engraved, preserved like a scribe’s writing for generations, and brought to the printing house. They would say: “Any day now, a miracle will occur, and we will always travel in honor of my father, may his memory be blessed, to hear his holy words directly from his mouth. And when these things are recorded in the Book of Remembrance, we will always rejoice in reading about our own actions, and we will know how to understand our ways before our Creator and uphold our deeds as is fitting and appropriate, each according to their understanding. And each one will say that everything written therein is meant entirely for them.”