Today, televised live on the Amnon Levi program on Channel 13, there was a discussion about the sale of the “shtreimel” of Rav Chaim Kanievsky ZTK’L for the astronomical sum of 1.8 million dollars.

Amnon Levi asked Yisrael Cohen, a chareidi journalist, if he thought that it was an investment that could possibly go up in value. Yisrael Cohen answered that he considered it a very wise investment.

Amnon Levi added, “Is it possible that someone would possibly pay more than 1.8 million dollars for an item? Yisrael Cohen revealed that in the past few days the “siddur HaRashash” of Rav Kanievsky ZT”L was sold for 2 million dollars.

According to the source, “This siddur, which has the kavanos of mekubalim, belonged to the Rav and was used by him when he learned kabbalah in secret. The only ones who knew about this were the Rav and Rebbetzin ZT”L and it was used after he said “tikun chatzos” and learned Zohar and sifrei kabbala in the middle of the night.

The Rav was very careful to keep this a secret, and he had a hidden cabinet that was kept locked and very high up. He used to climb on a ladder to take down these sefarim nightly. Only during his old age when he once fell did he agree to have the cabinet moved lower down. Even after it was moved and the members of his household knew about it, he didn’t allow anyone into the room while he was learning these sefarim.”

”After he passed away, many sifrei kabbala were found that the Rav had learned from, that no one knew about previously.”