Bidspirit auction | Sefer HaMakneh by the author

Sefer HaMakneh by the author of Hafla’ah; and Sefer Machaneh Levi by his son. First editions. Copies of Rabbi Chaim Berlin; signatures and an elegant gloss - Sefer HaMakneh, the second part of Sefer HaHafla’ah, novellae on Tractate and Hilchot Kiddushin, by the holy Gaon Rabbi Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz, Av Beit Din of Frankfurt and teacher of the Chasam Sofer. Offenbach, 1801. First edition of a foundational work. Stefansky Sifrei Yessod 98 Stefansky Chassidut 178 [5], 257 leaves. 31 cm. Printed and bound with: Sefer Machaneh Levi. Novellae on the Talmud, by the Gaon Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Horowitz, Av Beit Din of Frankfurt in his father's place. Offenbach, 1801. First edition. [1], 98, [1] leaves. 31 cm. On the title pages of both books and on additional leaves appear many ownership stamps of the Gaon of Gaonim, Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin and Chief Rabbi of Moscow and Jerusalem: “Chaim Berlin, son of the Gaon Admor the Netziv z”l, formerly in Moscow and Av Beit Din and Rosh Metivta in Volozhin, currently in Jerusalem the Holy City, may it be built and established.” Also: on leaf 257a in Sefer HaMakneh appears an elegant scholarly gloss (7 lines), in the holy handwriting of Rabbi Chaim Berlin, posing a question on the author of HaHafla’ah and concluding with “Tzarich Iyyun.” Overall condition: good–very good. Aging stains. One detached leaf. Original half-leather binding, with the names of the books embossed on the spine. The author, the holy Gaon Rabbi Pinchas HaLevi Horowitz [1731–1805], Av Beit Din of Frankfurt am Main. One of the greats of his generation, he taught Torah in both revealed and esoteric areas. His foremost disciple was the Chasam Sofer. According to Chassidic tradition, Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz and his brother Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke of Nikolsburg were among the leading disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch. Many miracle stories are associated with them and with their connection to the Maggid, the disseminator of the Baal Shem Tov’s Chassidut. His son-in-law was the Rebbe Rabbi Avraham Chaim ben Gedaliah of Zlotshov, a leading disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch, and author of the famed Chassidic work Orach LeChaim – Berdichev, 1817. Another son-in-law was Rabbi Zvi Yehoshua Horowitz, son of Rabbi Shmelke. Some of their Torah teachings were printed at the end of Sefer HaHafla’ah. His son, the Gaon Rabbi Zvi Hirsch HaLevi Horowitz [1754–1817], author of Machaneh Levi, succeeded his father as Rabbi of Frankfurt am Main. Known for his sharpness and depth in Talmudic learning, he engaged in halachic debate with many great sages of his time, including Rabbi Akiva Eiger and his brother-in-law and cousin Rabbi Zvi Yehoshua Horowitz of Torna. Upon his father's passing, he was appointed to succeed him as Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of the city, serving until his death. He authored several works, the primary one being Machaneh Levi, on Talmudic topics. Owner of the book: the Gaon Rabbi Chaim Berlin [1832–1913], one of the great sages of his generation and a majestic figure in Lithuania and Jerusalem. Eldest son of the Netziv of Volozhin. Rabbi Chaim served as Chief Rabbi of Moscow, and as head of the most renowned yeshiva in the world, the Volozhin Yeshiva, known as the ”Mother of Yeshivot, ” and also as Av Beit Din and Rosh Metivta in Volozhin. Later, he served as Rabbi of Kobrin. In 1906 he was invited to Jerusalem, and after the passing of Rabbi Shmuel Salant, he was recognized for his authority and Torah greatness as Chief Rabbi of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem, though he declined to accept the post officially.