Bidspirit auction | Shaagas Aryeh – First Edition

Shaagas Aryeh – First Edition in Its Original State as First Printed. Frankfurt an der Oder, 1756. - Shaagas Aryeh – First Edition as Originally Issued, Without the Later Addition. Frankfurt an der Oder, 1756 Shaagas Aryeh, responsa and halachic novellae by the gaon Rabbi Aryeh Leib ben Asher Ginzburg, who became known to subsequent generations by the title of this work, the Shaagas Aryeh. Frankfurt an der Oder, 1756. First edition. The first edition of one of the most important foundational works in halachic and analytical rabbinic literature. The work of the Shaagas Aryeh is regarded as a milestone in the world of Torah study, and its extraordinary incisiveness influenced generations of halachic authorities and yeshivah heads. The leading sages of later generations studied his writings with admiration, and many responsa and scholarly works published after him discuss his methods at length. The present copy possesses special bibliographical significance: it is one of the original copies of the first printing, containing only the 103 responsa originally issued, without the five additional responsa that were added later. The author himself writes in his introduction that, due to the high costs of printing, he was unable initially to publish the entire work. The book was therefore first printed with only 103 responsa, and an errata leaf was printed at the end. Only at a later stage were the additional five responsa printed and appended to some copies. The significance of the original state of the edition is further evident from the writings of the gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger, who used a copy of the original printing and referred to responsum no. 103 as the “last responsum, ” indicating that the copy before him did not include the later additions. The present copy thus reflects the book in its original form as first issued by the author, before completion of the printing and the addition of the later responsa. The gaon Rabbi Aryeh Leib Ginzburg (1695–1785), one of the foremost halachic authorities of his generation and author of the foundational works Shaagas Aryeh, Turei Even, and Kol Shechal, ranks among the greatest innovators in halachic scholarship of the eighteenth century. His works remain classic cornerstones of Torah literature to this day. Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod, no. 340. [1], 89 leaves. 32.5 cm. Condition: Good to very good. Defect to the upper portion of the title page. Disbound.