Bidspirit auction | Binyan David by Rabbi David

Binyan David by Rabbi David Meislish of Ujhely – Copy presented as a Gift to His Mechutan, Rabbi Abish Horowitz of Carei, Hy”d, Son-in-Law of the Chakal Yitzchak of Spinka,   Ujhely, 1931. First edition. * Binyan David, containing seventy-two questions and answers by Rabbi David Berish Meislish Hy”d, the last Rav of Ujhely and one of the leading rabbanim of pre-war Hungary. The author himself presented this copy to his mechutan, Rabbi Avraham Abish Horowitz Hy”d, Av Beis Din of Carei, the only son-in-law of the Spinka Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Weiss, author of Chakal Yitzchak. Rabbi Abish was the father of the Spinka Rebbe, Rabbi Hershele Spinker, father-in-law of the Admor Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Spinka, and the ancestor of many of the Spinka Rebbes of recent generations. The front flyleaf bears an inscription in the recipient’s handwriting, together with his signature: “With Hashem’s help, I received this gift from the esteemed author, my mechutan, shlita, before the marriage of my son, shlita, to his daughter, תחי’. HaKatan Abish Horowitz.” Letters by Rabbi Abish are exceedingly rare. His son, the chassan, mentioned in the inscription, was Rabbi Yosef Meir Horowitz Hy”d, who married Sarah Toba, daughter of the Binyan David. The inscription establishes that their wedding took place no earlier than 1932, as this was the year this sefer was published. Rabbi Abish Horowitz of Carei Hy”d (1897–1944) was the son of Rabbi Naftali of Melitz and a direct descendant of Rabbi Naftali of Ropshitz. Recognized as a prodigy from childhood, he married into the Ziditchov dynasty, becoming the son-in-law of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Weiss of Spinka, author of Chakal Yitzchak. In 1934, he was appointed Av Beis Din of Carei, where he headed a major Chassidic yeshiva attended by hundreds of students. He was murdered in Auschwitz together with members of his community. His son-in-law was his nephew, the Admor Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Spinka (who married a second time after the Holocaust). His descendants include many of the Spinka Rebbes of recent decades, all descendants of Rabbi Abish. The author, Rabbi Dovid Berish Meislish of Ujhely, Hy”d, author of Binyan David, was a Chassidic gaon and one of the leading rabbanim of pre-war Hungary. When he was young, he frequently traveled to the Shinova Rebbe, Rabbi Yechezkel Halberstam, author of Divrei Yechezkel. In 1897, he married the daughter of Rabbi Moshe Yosef Teitelbaum, Av Beis Din of Ujhely. It is related that before the match was finalized, both his future father-in-law and the Bobover Rebbe, Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam, tested him. He demonstrated complete mastery of one thousand pages of Gemara by heart, together with Rashi, Tosfos, and the Chiddushei HaRim on Kesubos (related in Toras Binyan David in the introduction by the author’s son, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Meislish, from the testimony of one who was present). He received semichah from the Kedushas Yom Tov and the Minchas Elazar, both of whom held him in the highest esteem. His earliest published work was the present Shu”t, Binyan David. In 1942, he published Binyan David on Sefer Bereishis. Ujhely, 1931. First edition. Page Count: [4], 108 leaves. Size: 33.3 cm. The front flyleaf is slightly shorter than the rest of the volume. Condition: Good. The flyleaf bears the faded stamp of Rabbi Yosef Yehoshua Gross, Av Beis Din of Carei, son-in-law and disciple of the renowned Rabbi Shaul Brach, Av Beis Din of Kashau, and a close associate of the Satmar Rebbe, author of Vayoel Moshe.