Sefer Yesod: Zayit Ra’anan on the Yalkut Shimoni—first edition, Dessau 1704. Copy owned by the son of the Arugas ...

Sefer Yesod: Zayit Ra’anan on the Yalkut Shimoni—first edition, Dessau 1704. Copy owned by the son of the Arugas HaBosem.

Zayit Ra’anan, a foundational commentary on the Midrash Yalkut Shimoni by the gaon Rabbi Avraham Abele Gombiner of Kalish, the author of the well-known halachic work the Magen Avraham on the Shulchan Aruch Orech Chaim. First edition, Dessau, 1704. [11], 3-62 [supposed to be 82] leaves. Stefanski Sifrei Yesod #138. The National Library categorizes it as rare. At the beginning are 11 unnumbered pages with “Shemen Sasson”, nice drashot on some parshiyot of the Torah by the same author. Approbations after the title page. Title page with a pretty engraving.

Tape on the title page and other leaves, new inscribed binding, moth holes and damage, brown paper, overall fair condition.

The title page has a signature, and there are many stamps throughout the work: “Avraham Yosef Greenwald, Av Beit Din of Unvar and the Galil”—Rabbi Avraham Yosef Greenwald was the eldest son of the famous gaon Rabbi Moshe Greenwald of Khust, known for his work the Arugas HaBosem. His son, the book’s owner, served as rabbi of Makova and Ungvar and succeeded his father in Khust. He died in 1928. His sons were Rabbi Yehoshua Greenwald who served as the last rabbi of Khust, until the community was sent in 1944 to Auschwitz, and Rabbi Meir, Av Beit Din of Tetsh, son-in-law of Rabbi Yehiel Yehuda of Rozla.