Bidspirit auction | Three Sefarim Bearing the Signatures

Three Sefarim Bearing the Signatures of the Great Gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger of Posen * A collection of three sefarim of commentary and halacha that belonged to Rabban shel Yisrael, Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger, in which he studied and toiled with an incomparable passion and love for Torah. Each of the sefarim bears his holy handwritten signature. The three sefarim came into the possession of Zaidy sewn together, without a binding. In light of their exceptional importance and rarity, they have now been newly bound in fine bindings and placed in a matching custom-made protective case. The three sefarim are of similar format. All were printed in Fuerth in the 18th century, and it appears that already when in the possession of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, they were bound together. Try, for a brief moment, to imagine entering the holy abode of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, more than two hundred years ago, and beholding an awe-inspiring sight: Rabban shel Yisrael, Rabbi Akiva Eiger, seated at his table in the late hours of the night, bent over these very sefarim by the light of a thin, flickering flame, completely immersed in the study of Torah — his delight. With his pure eyes, he examines every word and letter, his holy hands turning leaf after leaf, while in his mind, he surveys the entire breadth of the sea of the Talmud. Before us are three sefarim in which Rabbi Akiva Eiger studied. They are as follows: 1. The first is Chiddushei Maharsha on Rashi's commentary to the Torah. Fuerth, 1764. At the top of the title page appears the partially trimmed signature of Rabbeinu: ”I purchased this… the humble Akiva Ginz from Eisenstadt.” Within the border is a handwritten inscription and signature of his firstborn son, the gaon Rabbi Avraham of Rawicz, attesting that the sefer belonged to his great father: ”Belongs to my revered father and teacher, the great gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger, may his light shine, of Eisenstadt and presently Av Beis Din of Markisch Friedland, may it be rebuilt speedily; and as testimony to this I have signed below — his humble son, Avraham.” On the flyleaf, there is an additional ownership inscription to Rabbi Akiva Eiger written by a disciple, as well as two signatures of members of the Eiger family (detailed below). 2. The second sefer is Rosh Yosef, a commentary on the Torah by Rabbi Yosef of Tiktin. Fuerth, 1764, first edition. At the top of the title page appears the signature of Rabbeinu: ”The humble Akiva.” 3. The third sefer is Tzinah David on the laws of nikur, together with the commentary Makom David by Rabbi David Deitsch. Fuerth, 1750, first edition. On the first page appears the signature of Rabbeinu: ”Purchased, with Hashem's help, from ma'aser funds, the humble Akiva.” (This sefer is lacking its opening leaves, but from the fact that Rabbeinu's signature appears on the first extant page, it seems that already in his possession, the copy was incomplete. The sefer before us is thus exactly as it was in the hands of Rabbeinu.) In summary, presented here are three sefarim of the brilliant gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger, all from a single provenance, each bearing his signature at its beginning. An exciting and exceptionally rare item! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A total of three sefarim: Chiddushei Maharsha, Fuerth 1764. Page Count: [1], 60 (in error; should be 82) leaves. Rosh Yosef, Fuerth 1764, first edition . Page Count: 36 leaves. Tzinah David, Fuerth 1750, first edition. Present here are [2], leaves 5–18; the first [4] leaves are lacking. Rabbeinu's signature appears on the first extant page. We did not find glosses in the holy handwriting of Rabbeinu within the sefarim. Average Size: Approx. 19 cm. Provenance: Collection of Rabbi Raphael Reichman, zt” l. Condition: Overall fair to good; in several leaves, there are minor losses of text at the corners with light restoration. Signs of use. In two sefarim, leaf trimming affects the text. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The signatures and inscriptions on the flyleaf of Chiddushei Maharsha include an ownership inscription to Rabbi Akiva Eiger in the handwriting of a disciple: ”Belongs to our master and teacher, the outstanding gaon, wonder of the generation, unique in his era, the chassid whose name is a blessing, Rabbeinu Akiva Ginz… Av Beis Din and Rav and head of the holy community of Posen and its environs, so writes his disciple, the author of this inscription, Avraham… Michael [Chaim?]… of Kalish.” Rabbi Michael Chaim of Kalish was an important communal leader and is known to have signed several communal documents. On the same leaf appears the inscription: ”The humble Wolf Eiger, ” possibly a son of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, as well as a Latin-script signature: ”H. M. Schlesinger, ” apparently one of the Eiger family members, as Schlesinger was the family name of Rabbi Akiva Eiger's grandfather (his father's father) and the name was borne by many of his descendants.