Bidspirit auction | A Historic and Controversial Gemara

A Historic and Controversial Gemara – The Last Tractate Printed in Slavita! Blessings from the Gedolei HaChassidus for “Bunei, Chayei U’Mezonei” to Purchasers of the Gemara. Talmud Bavli, Tractate Eruvin – Slavita, 1836 – With Approbations and Letters from the Slavita–Vilna Printing Controversy Talmud Bavli, Tractate Eruvin, Slavita, 1836. Printed by Rabbi Moshe Shapira, Av Beis Din of Slavita, and his son Rabbi Shmuel Avraham Shapira. The present volume was printed at the end of 1836, at the height of the famous controversy between the printers of Slavita and Vilna, and is the final tractate printed from this edition, and among the last Sefarim produced by the Slavita press before its tragic closure. The volume belongs to the fourth Slavita edition of the Shas, of which only Tractates Berachos, Shabbos, and Eruvin were completed (during the printing of Tractate Pesachim, the press was shut down by the Russian authorities due to the well-known libel). At the beginning of this volume are printed 23 letters and approbations from leading Rabbanim of the generation who supported the Slavita printers, including leading figures of Polish Chassidus: the Admorim Harav HaKadosh Rabbi Yitzchak of Vorka, HaGaon HaKadosh Rabbi Shraga Feivel of Gritza, Harav HaKadosh Rabbi Chaim Meir Yechiel of Mogelnitza (“the Saraf of Mogelnitza”); as well as Harav HaKadosh Rabbi Aryeh Leib Lipschitz of Vishnitza, author of Arieh D’bei Ilai (son-in-law of the Yismach Moshe and father-in-law of the Admor of Shinova), and HaGaon HaKadosh Rabbi Aizik of Homil, among the foremost disciples of the Alter Rebbe of Liadi. Also included are approbations of leading Rabbanim, including: Rabbi Elazar Löw (Shemen Rokeach), Rabbi Avraham Abba Posveler, Av Beis Din of Vilna, Rabbi Yaakov Ornstein, Av Beis Din of Lvov (Yeshuos Yaakov), and Rabbi Shlomo Kluger, Av Beis Din of Brody. These letters and approbations contain extensive and valuable information on the development of the well-known controversy in which approximately two hundred Rabbanim of the generation were involved. At one stage of the controversy, the Vilna printers spread a rumor that Rabbanim supporting them had issued a ban against purchasing the Slavita Shas. In response, the Slavita printers requested that the Rabbanim supporting them clarify the matter. In their letters, printed at the beginning of this volume, the Rabbanim declared that not only was there no prohibition, but on the contrary, they bestowed abundant blessings—both material and spiritual—upon all those who would purchase the Slavita Shas: “Those who purchase… shall be blessed with all good, and merit to see children and grandchildren, living and enduring, engaged in our Holy Torah… life, peace, and all good in abundance to serve Hashem” ~ (the Saraf of Mogelnitza); “All who come forward to purchase that Shas from the printers of Slavita shall be blessed with abundant blessing… Bnei, Chayei U’Mezonei and all good ” ~ (author of Arieh D’bei Ilai); “ Those who strengthen their hands for Hashem to purchase the Shas of Slavita… shall be blessed with goodness, receive blessing from Heaven… and through the blessing of Hashem become enriched, and merit to learn and see children and grandchildren studying the Torah of Hashem in abundance ” ~ (HaGaon HaKadosh Rabbi Shraga Feivel of Gritza); “ Every wise-hearted person should take it as a mitzvah… to purchase the Shas of Slavita… and those who study this Shas and those who acquire it shall merit the light of Torah that will illuminate their eyes” ~ (Rabbi Aryeh Leib Horowitz, Av Beis Din of Stanislaw). [4], 2–117, 117–132; 17; 2; 91–130 leaves. Condition: Good. Stains. New leather binding.