Bidspirit auction | Aruch LaNer, First Edition. The

Aruch LaNer, First Edition. The Personal Copy of the Author’s Son, the Gaon Rabbi Ben-Zion Ettlinger. With Signatures and Marginal Notes - Sefer Aruch LaNer, on Tractates Makkot and Keritot. Among the most foundational, important, and well-known analytical works. Altona, 1855. First edition, published during the author’s lifetime. The personal copy of the author’s son, the Gaon Rabbi Ben-Zion Ettlinger, who edited his father’s writings. On the front flyleaf appears his signature in elegant calligraphic block script: “Ben Zion son of the Gaon, the author, my honored father, Rabbi Yaakov Ettlinger, may he live and be well.” His ownership stamp also appears at the center of the title page. This copy is extremely well-preserved, free of tears and worming typical of books from its era, and was clearly carefully maintained within the author’s family. However, signs of use throughout indicate it was actively handled by the son, who was involved in editing his father’s works. On leaf 38a appears a [2]-line marginal note, seemingly in his handwriting. Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod 82. [2], 92 leaves. Approx. 26 cm. Very good condition. Signs of use throughout. Signatures and marginalia. Detached binding. The author, Rabbi Yaakov Yehuda Ettlinger (1798–1871), Av Beit Din of Altona, was a preeminent leader of Orthodox Judaism and the supreme rabbinic authority among the Ashkenazic rabbis of his era. A foremost disciple of the Sha’agat Aryeh, Rabbi Ettlinger was considered one of the greatest posekim already in his lifetime. Halachic questions were sent to him from across the Jewish world. Rabbi Yosef Shaul Nathanson, author of Sho’el U’Meishiv, would permit cases of heter agunah only on condition that “the Gaon of Altona” endorsed the ruling. The leading rabbis of Germany were among his disciples, including: Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer Rabbi Tzvi Binyamin Auerbach of Halberstadt Besides his immense Torah scholarship, Rabbi Ettlinger was known for his righteousness. In his will, he requested that no titles of praise be inscribed on his tombstone, only the names of his books and the years of his service in Altona. His magnum opus Aruch LaNer—a monumental commentary on the Talmud Bavli—became a foundational and enduring classic in the world of Torah scholarship. He passed away on the first night of Chanukah. Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld remarked that the number of volumes in Aruch LaNer was eight, corresponding to the days of Chanukah, and that he was destined to pass on with the lighting of the first ner (candle), as hinted in the title of his work. His son, Rabbi Ben-Zion Ettlinger zatzal of Mohilev, was the son-in-law of the wealthy R. Shemariah Zuckerman of Mohilev and helped publish some of his father’s writings. (Toldot Anshei Shem, Warsaw 1875, p. 27.)