Divrei Chaim (Sanz) – Zhovkva, 1864 – First Edition, Printed Anonymously in Author's Lifetime – Copy of Rabbi ...

Divrei Chaim (Sanz) – Zhovkva, 1864 – First Edition, Printed Anonymously in Author's Lifetime – Copy of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Weinberger, Rabbi of Kleinwardein

Divrei Chaim, two parts, on laws of Gitin (divorce documents) and Mikvaot (ritual baths), by Rebbe Chaim Halberstam, Rabbi of Sanz. Zhovkva: Shmuel Pinchas Stiller, 1864. First edition. This is the first work of the first Sanz rebbe to be published, during his lifetime and anonymously. Two parts in one volume. Divisional title page for Part II.

Copy of R. Avraham Yitzchak Weinberger, Rabbi of Kleinwardein. On front and back endpapers, many inscriptions signed by disciples attesting that this book belonged to their teacher R. Avraham Yitzchak Weinberger, Rabbi of Kleinwardein (the disciples who sign the ownership inscriptions include: "Yaakov Steiner", "Yisrael Richter", "Selig… Potok…", "Menachem Mendel Schwartz").

R. Avraham Yitzchak Weinberger, Rabbi of Kleinwardein (1805-1885) was the son-in-law of R. Tzvi Hirsch Heller, Rabbi of Óbuda and author of Tiv Gitin, and stepson-in-law of the Chatam Sofer (after his father-in-law R. Tzvi Hirsch Heller passed away in 1835, his widow married the Chatam Sofer in his third marriage; her daughter and son-in-law relocated with her to Pressburg and lived for several years in the home of the Chatam Sofer, where R. Avraham Yitzchak was guided by the Chatam Sofer in Torah and fear of G-d). He went on to serve as rabbi of Freishtadtl (Hlohovec), and after several years, of Kleinwardein (Kisvárda). R. Avraham Yitzchak was a leading rabbi and yeshiva dean in those days in Hungary. His foremost disciples include R. Chaim Tzvi Mannheimer Rabbi of Ungvár (Uzhhorod) and Rebbe Meshulam Feish Lowy (the first) Rabbi of Tosh (1821-1873). He authored Pnei Yitzchak (Munkacs 1892) and Milel LeAvraham (Munkacs 1892). His son-in-law was R. Avraham Broda Rabbi of Berezne (1825-1882; author of Pri HeChag, disciple of the Chatam Sofer and the Ktav Sofer).

This was the first of the books of the Divrei Chaim to be published (his responsa Divrei Chaim was published 11 years later in 1875). In the introduction, the author says "I did not write my name for a specific reason", but from the second edition (Munkacs, 1892) onwards, the author's name was printed on the title page. In the introduction to the second edition of the book, the author's son Rebbe Baruch of Gorlitz recounts that his father said on his deathbed: "I praise and thank G-d that I toiled and succeeded, and my work on Gitin and Mikvaot corresponds to the true halachah. In my opinion, whoever rules on halachic questions based on my book will rule in accordance with Torah law and halachah". When the present book was published, the author was reputedly overjoyed, and said excitedly that when the messiah comes, he would greet him along with all the other authors with this book (see Zochrenu LeChaim, Munkacs 1935, p. 331).

Two parts in one volume. [3], 34, [1], 33-44; 27 leaves; [1], 23, [1] leaves (leaves 13-14 and 23-24 of first sequence bound out of order). 35 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Worming, mainly to binding. Original binding, worn and torn.