Bidspirit auction | Mishneh LaMelekh which the Maharil

Mishneh LaMelekh which the Maharil Diskin, gave as a gift to his student, with a rare dedication in his holy handwriting! - Mishneh LaMelekh – Hamburg, 1790 Sefer Mishneh LaMelekh, novellae on the order of the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam, by Rabbi Yehudah Rozanis of Constantinople. Hamburg, printed by Leiser Shemesh and Natan Mai, 1790. Third edition. The title of the book and the place of printing are printed in red ink. On the front endpaper, a dedication in the holy handwriting of the fiery saint of Brisk, Rabbi Yehoshua Yehudah Leib Diskin: ”נתונים נתונים המה במתנת דרשה לתלמידי המשכיל השנון והמופלג מו''ה נפתלי כץ”. Below the dedication is written: “Given as a gift by the gaon, the crown of Israel, our master Rabbi Yehoshua Yehudah Leib Diskin.” Manuscripts in the holy handwriting of the saint of Brisk are rare. It appears that he wrote very little, and even more so refrained from signing, perhaps due to halakhic concerns. The Maharil established in Jerusalem the great enterprise known as “Beit HaYetomim Diskin, ” for the rescue of the orphans of Jerusalem. He supervised and directed the institution; its documents were written in his name, and his name and address appear in foreign language on official documents—yet never with his signature! It seems this is the reason that even when he gave a wedding-gift to a close student and wished to gladden him with a written blessing—he refrained from signing the blessing, and the receiver needed to note the donor’s identity. The dedication was submitted to experts who confirmed that it is indeed in the handwriting of the Maharil Diskin. The phrasing of the dedication, “Given, given it is, ” follows the wording of Bamidbar 8:16 regarding the Levites, “for they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel, ” perhaps hinting at the tribe of the book’s recipient, R. Naftali Katz—a Kohen from the tribe of Levi. We also find this phrase used by the Maharil Diskin: “for my words are given, given to the sages such as these” (Responsa Maharil Diskin, rulings, §53). Another name appears at the top of one of the pages: “Belongs to Sofer? Yeḥezkel of Lomza.” The father of the Maharil Diskin, the gaon Rabbi Binyamin, was rabbi of Lomza, and upon his passing the Maharil filled his place as rabbi of Lomza at the age of twenty-five. It should be noted that Mishneh LaMelekh was beloved to the Rav of Brisk, and in his writings he often analyzes its words. His student, the Jerusalem maggid Rabbi Neta Zvi Weiss, of blessed memory, described his teacher’s mastery: “Rashi and Tosafot, the Alfasi and the Rosh, the Jerusalem Talmud, Torat Kohanim, Sifrei, Mekhilta, Tosefta, all the Midrashim, Zohar, Rambam and Kesef Mishneh and Mishneh LaMelekh—all by heart”!!! It is noteworthy that in this entire list, Mishneh LaMelekh alone is from the later authorities… And indeed, we find a strikingly similar list in another story told about the Maharil Diskin. In the book Rabbi Shlomo Ḥelm by R. Avraham Brik, regarding the author of Mirkevet HaMishneh, the following story is brought: “That the gaon Rabbi Y.L. Diskin, rabbi of Brisk, when he came to Jerusalem, his library consisted only of these volumes: Babylonian Talmud and Jerusalem Talmud, the Rambam, the Tur, the Shulchan Aruch—and the book Mirkevet HaMishneh, for he said: one who has this book needs no books of the later authorities.” According to scholars expert in this field, this description fits Mishneh LaMelekh more precisely, especially since in the writings of the Maharil Diskin there is no reference to Mirkevet HaMishneh, whereas Mishneh LaMelekh is cited dozens of times. It is likely that the names of the two similarly-titled works were accidentally exchanged… And if this is correct, and Mishneh LaMelekh was one of the few books the Maharil brought with him upon ascending to the Holy Land, it is plausible that the present copy before us—bearing an ownership inscription from the city of Lomza, where the Maharil and his father served—is that very copy! Additional inscriptions: Beneath the dedication: “R. Naftali Katz, ” “R. Moshe Katz, ” “R. Avraham Yosef.” At the bottom of the page, inscriptions extolling the author of the book, Rabbi Yehudah Rozanis. On the rear endpaper, signature: “Yehudah Yaakov son of Rabbi Yehudah.” Some stains and wear, signs of worming and creasing on the front endpaper; the endpaper and title page slightly smaller. Slight tear at the margin of the title page without loss of text; slight creasing at the margins of the early leaves. Most of the book in very fine condition. Magnificent binding, with gold ornamentation.