Bidspirit auction | Copy of Two Gedolei Hadorot

Copy of Two Gedolei Hadorot - the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Berlin of Furth and the Gaon Rabbi Yehuda Assad: Signature, Ownership Notations and Glosses Handwritten by Them - Sefer Panim Me'irot by the Maharam Esh , two secitons bound together with separate title pages. First editions. Stefansky Sifrei Yesod #306:  * Shut Panim Meirot, Section II . Sulzbach, 1733. First ediiton. [1], 113 leaves.  * Shut Panim Meirot, Section III , and Chidushim and Bei'urim on Masechet Kiddushin and Beitzah. Sulzbach, 1638. First ediiton. [2], 61 leaves.  Fine late binding. Stains and minor blemishes. Small tears along the edges of some leaves, slightly affecting the text of several leaves. Good overall condition.  The books had belonged to two Anakei Dorot , who left a blessing in them by handwriting ownership notations and glosses in them.  At first, the books were owned by the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Berlin of Furth , author of Sefer Be'er yaakov, which is cited by many subsequent Halachah and Shut books ( Noda BiYehuda, Chatam Sofer, Rabbi Akiva Eiger, the Chida, Rabbi Bezalel Ransburg, Mahari Assad, Aruch Laner, Chayei Adam, Aruch Hashulchan and many more). The Chasam Sofer, who discusses his words, ends with reverence: ”וברוך שכיוונתי בקצת דבריי לדעתו הגדולה” - indicating the status and weight given to his words by the Acharonim.  Appearing at the beginning of the first work in the volume, Section III of Shut Panim Meirot, is his handwritten ownership signature: ”... אלה ליעקב הקטן יאקברלין”.  (”יאקב” is the Ashkenazi spelling of his name, Yaakov, like that which ppears in his books. The ב׳ serves as the end of his first name יעקב and the beginning of his surname ברלין). On the leaves of the book there are two fine glosses handwritten by Rabbi Yaakov Berlin.   Then the book passed into the possession of the wonder-worker, the famed Gaon Rabbi Yehuda Assad , one of the foremost Poskim and leaders of Hungary. On the last page of the second work in the volume, Section II of Shut Panim Meirot (which was bound after Section III), there is a lengthy notation in a foreign language, handwritten and signed by the son-in-law of the Mahari Assad, the Gaon Rabbi Aharon Suditz Bichler, Av Beit Din of Jászberény, the husband of his daughter Sheryl.  On the leaves of the book, there is a gloss and several additional corrections handwritten by the Mahari Assad.  *** The Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Berlin of Furth [1708-1750] a disciple of the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Poppers author of the Shav Yaakov. Was a sharp and knowledgeable Gaon, author of Be'er Yaakov on the Shulchan Aruch and Klalei Sugyot Hashas amd Zuchron Yaakov on the Torah. Passed awy in 1750 at the young age of 42.  His Gaon friend Rabbi Yosef Steinhart Av Beit Din of Furth author of Shut Zichrin Yosef, praised him, writing:  ”אזכור אלה ליעקב – איש תם עם ישרים נחתם, יושב אוהלים, אוהלי תורה, ולו שם בגדולים ומורה גם הוא יורה, ארי שבחבורה, קולע אל השערה... הוא הגבר, הרב המופלא, חריף ובקי, גבר בכולא... דהוו נהירין ליה שבילין דאורייתא והלכתא גבורתא, איכא למשמע מיניה תילי תילין של הלכות.”  His book Be'er Yaakov was approbated by the Dayanim of the Berlin community, who indicate: ”דברים עתיקים שבעתיים מזוקקים, נחל נובע מקור חכמה, ונוזלים מ'באר מים חיים', הם למוצאיהם ולחיך טועמיהם המה מתוקים. את אשר גזר אומר והקים הרב הנודע בכל מדע, דעת ותבונה, איש תבונות ידלנה, דלה מים מבארות עמוקים, עמוק מאוד מי ימצאנה, צלל במים אדירים והעלה דברים יקרים, הלכות ברורות.” Geonei Hadorot cite him in their books including the Noda BIYehuda (Mahadure Kama Orach Chaim Siman 19), Shut Imrei Noam Mattersdorf (Siman 1), the Gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger (in his glosses, Yoreh Deah Siman 294; Choshen Mishpat, Siman 359), the Chasam Sofer (Masechet Shabbat, leaf 22a) and the Chida .  The Gaon Rabbi Yehuda Assad (1794-1866) the foremost Tzaddik of Hungary and a disciple and friend of the Chasam Sofer . Was Considered Posek Hador in Hungary after the Chasam Sofer's passing.  Served as Av Beit Din and Rosh Yeshiva of Serdahli and was a foremost Posek, Meishiv and leader of Hungarian Jewry.  A wondrous story is told about him that in 1864, he was a member of a rabbinic delegation to Emperor Franz Joseph seeking to annul the plan to establish a state-sponsored Beit Midrash for rabbis. Upon their arrival at the palace, he announced to his fellow delegation members that he had no doubt they would succeed in their mission, as he had seen a figure resembling an angel before him as he entered. In reality, it was a mirror reflecting his own visage, which he had never seen before... His son-in-law the Gaon Rabbi Aharon Suditz Bichler (1828-1915) a disciple of his father-in-law Rabbi Yehuda Assad and of the author of the Ketav Sofer. Since 1861 served as Rav of Jászberény. In a letter written by Rabbi Yehuda Assad in Av 1859 to Rabbi David Bichler, Rabbi Aharon's father, Rabbi Yehuda Assad writes about the Shiduch between his daughter and his disciple.