Bidspirit auction | Fine Copy of Yerushalmi Kodashim

Fine Copy of Yerushalmi Kodashim - One of the Most Famed Forgeries in the History of the Hebrew Book: Talmud Yerushalmi on the Tractates of Chulin and Bechorot - First Edition Seini-Worhol, 1906-1907 - ”ראה זה חדש !!! יו”ל בפעם הראשונה מכת”י ישן נושן...” (Friedlander about the printing of this Yerushalmi Kodashim). Talmud Yerushalmi, Seder Kodashim - Tractates Chulin and Bechorot with separate title pages, with the Cheshek Shlomo commentary- by Shlomo Yehuda Algazi (actually, Shlomo Yehuda Friedlander) and with glosses by the Gaon Rabbi Shalom Mordechai Hacohen Schwadron - the Maharsham of Berzhan - and the famed scholar Rabbi Shllomo Buber . Seini-Worhol, 1906-1907. First edition of th efamed forgery.  Printed at the beginning of the volume is a comprehensive foreword of eleven pages defending the work against those who discovered the forgery and published it. According to the title page, this is Section II although this is the first section that was printed.  Talmud Yerushalmi on Seder Kodashim was lost during the era of the Rishonim and was never printed. In the early twentieth century, Shlomo Friedlander (who also adopted a forged identity as a descendant of the Sephardic Algazi family) skillfully transcribed all the Yerushalmi Kodashim passages cited in the works of the Rishonim, combining them with Yerushalmi passages from other Sedarim, and publicly announced that he had discovered an ancient manuscript of the lost Yerushalmi.  This act of forgery was initially accepted by most rabbis and scholars, such as the Maharsham of Brzezhan, who even authored glosses to the book that were published across all its volumes. The work bore prestigious rabbinic approbations by the foremost Gedolei Hador: the Maharsham, the Gaon Rabbi Yehuda Greenwald Av Beit Din of Satmar, Rabbi Eliezer Deutsch, Rabbi Yitzchak Leib Sofer, Rabbi Avraham Binyamin Kluger son of the Maharshak, and more.  On the other hand, sharp-eyed rabbis such as the author of the Kli Chemdah, Rabbi Dov Aryeh Ritter Av Beit Din of Rotterdam, the Rogatchover, and the author of the Or Sameach, exposed the forgery and made it public. A fierce controversy developed around the book, lasting several years, during which numerous works were published both asserting and denying its authenticity; later, a significant portion of the supporting publications turned out to be the work of Friedlander himself, written under various pseudonyms. The Yerushalmi was introduced to three of the generation's guiding lights: the Admor the Imrei Emes of Ger; Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, author of the Or Sameach; and Rabbi Yosef Ruzhin, the Rogatchover, author of Tzofnat Paneach, who decisively ruled that it was a forgery.  A famous legend relates that the author of the Imrei Emes of Ger asked to examine the original manuscript. Friedlander presented him with a manuscript that had been deliberately aged in the sun to give it an ancient appearance. The Imrei Emes, in his wisdom, slightly tore the margin of one of the pages and noticed that while the surface of the paper had yellowed, the interior of the page remained white and new - thereby confirming his conviction that it was a forgery. Once it became indisputably clear that this was a forgery, most copies were sent to Genizah or hidden away, and the edition itself became a highly sought-after bibliographical rarity. It documents one of the most famous forgery sagas in the Hebrew book world, which stirred the rabbinic and academic communities in the early twentieth century and sparked widespread debate surrounding the existence of a Yerushalmi on Seder Kodashim.  At the beginning of the copy there is a fine, interesting dedication by Binyamin B. Levin to Rabbi Aharon Neubart. There are also several ownership stamps of Rabbi Neubart on the leaves of the books.   Masechet Chulin: [9], 78 leaves.  Masechet Bechorot: [1], 47 leaves.  The copy is complete and contains three title pages (!) at the beginning of the colume with red and black lettering  On verso of teh first two title pages there are two title pages in a foreign language and an additional title page for Masechet Bechorot.  34.5 cm. The binding is apparently from the time of printing.  Creases t o the first title page. Stains and minor blemishes. Good-very good overall condition.