Bidspirit auction | Signature of the Holy Gaon

Signature of the Holy Gaon Rabbi Daniel Prostiz – Head of the Beit Din and Close Friend of the Chatam Sofer – Pri Megadim, Fürth, 1767 - Signature of the Holy Gaon Rabbi Daniel Prostiz – Head of the Beit Din and Close Friend of the Chatam Sofer – Pri Megadim, Fürth, 1767. Incomplete Copy Sefer Pri Megadim, indexes to Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat – Fürth, 1767. At the head of the volume is the sacred handwritten signature of the Gaon and Kabbalist Rabbi Daniel Prostiz, Ravad of Pressburg, head of the Beit Din, childhood friend and one of the closest associates of Maran the Chatam Sofer. Sefer Pri Megadim, indexes to Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat, by the Gaon Rabbi Shmuel son of Rabbi Alexander. Printed as the final section of Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat, Fürth, 1767. At the upper edge of the first leaf appears the sacred handwritten signature of the Gaon Rabbi Daniel Prostiz, one of the foremost rabbis of Pressburg in the generation of the Chatam Sofer and author of Machaneh Dan. Numerous inscriptions appear throughout the leaves, apparently printer’s notations made in preparation for the printing of a new edition. Leaves 47–63. Good condition. Stains. Numerous inscriptions throughout the leaves, apparently printer’s notations made in preparation for a new edition. The Gaon and Kabbalist Rabbi Daniel Prostiz – The Right-Hand Man of the Chatam Sofer The holy Gaon Rabbi Daniel Prostiz [1759–1846], Ravad of Pressburg, one of the great Hungarian Torah sages, a Kabbalist and miracle worker, stood at the side of Maran the Chatam Sofer for decades and was among the leading members of his Beit Din and his closest confidants. In his youth, he studied under the Gaon Rabbi Meir Barby, Av Beit Din and Rosh Yeshiva of Pressburg, whose study hall at that time was also attended by the Maharam Banet and many other leading Torah scholars of the generation. Already in 1798, the holy Rabbi Uri wrote of him that “there is none greater than him in the house of the Maharam Barby” (Avnei Beit HaYotzer, Paks 1900, p. 57). In 1807, Rabbi Daniel Prostiz was among the principal figures who initiated the appointment of the Chatam Sofer as Rabbi of Pressburg. From that time onward, the two were bound together in a profound friendship, and throughout the Chatam Sofer’s years of leadership, Rabbi Daniel stood at his side and assisted him in guiding the community. Despite receiving rabbinical offers from important communities, including Siebenbürgen, Karlsburg and Brod, he preferred to remain in Pressburg in the shadow of his close friend, the Chatam Sofer. His standing in the city was exceptionally high, and he was regarded as the foremost rabbinic authority after the Chatam Sofer. Following the passing of the Chatam Sofer, Rabbi Daniel was among those who led the appointment of his son, the Ketav Sofer, as his father’s successor to the rabbinate of Pressburg. The relationship between the two great Torah scholars was not limited to halachic and communal matters. Contemporary sources and Pressburg traditions describe Rabbi Daniel as one of the Chatam Sofer’s closest confidants in matters of Kabbalah. Zichron LeMoshe relates that the Chatam Sofer, who was well versed in Kabbalah and only rarely gave amulets, did so solely for a select few among his beloved confidants, “and one of the most distinguished among them was the Gaon Rabbi Daniel Prostiz, of blessed memory.” A Kabbalist and Miracle Worker – The Deceased Woman Who Appeared Before Him on Shabbat Rabbi Daniel was also renowned in later tradition as a Kabbalist and miracle worker. The introduction to Dan MiDaniel, authored by his grandson, records a remarkable story preserved within the family: One Shabbat, after the daytime meal, Rabbi Daniel was sitting and studying Torah when a woman who had passed away several weeks earlier suddenly appeared before him. She told him that before her death she had given the community shamash a sum of money so that he would study Torah for the elevation of her soul, but that he was not fulfilling his obligation. Rabbi Daniel promised her that he would address the matter, and she disappeared. Shortly afterward, the shamash arrived to summon the congregation for the Minchah prayer. Rabbi Daniel called him over and asked whether he had indeed received money from the woman to study for the elevation of her soul. The shamash was terrified, since no one besides himself knew of the arrangement, and admitted that he had accepted the money but had failed to fulfill his obligation. Rabbi Daniel informed him that the woman had just appeared before him and complained about his conduct, and warned him that from then onward he must properly fulfill his commitment. “Make Room for the Tzaddik” – His Burial Beside the Chatam Sofer According to Pressburg tradition, the special bond between Rabbi Daniel Prostiz and the Chatam Sofer continued even after their passing. Rabbi Daniel was buried immediately adjacent to the grave of the Chatam Sofer,