Michtav MeEliyahu, on the laws of gittin, by R. Eliyahu Alfandari. Constantinople: Yonah son of Yaakov [Ashkenazi], [1723]. Only edition.

Copy of Rebbe Nachum Dov Ber Friedman of Sadigura, with his ownership inscriptions and stamps. At top of title page, two stamps (somewhat blurred). One stamp with his name, "Nachum Dov Ber Friedman" and a lion icon (somewhat blurred), and a second stamp "Kinyan Kaspi".

Original leather binding from the Rebbe's library. Inside front board, printed ex libris label (gilt letters on red), and
handwritten ownership inscription on title page and endpaper, stating that the book belongs to Rebbe Nachum Dov Ber Friedman.

Rebbe Nachum Dov Ber Friedman of Sadigura (d. 1883), grandson of Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin, son of Rebbe Shalom Yosef and son-in-law of Rebbe Avraham Yaakov of Sadigura. R. Nachum Dov Ber was a prominent collector of early manuscripts and books, and possessed a large library. R. Nachum Dov used several types of stamps in his library. Books he inherited from his father were stamped "Nachalat Avotai", books he purchased were stamped "Kinyan Kaspi", and books received as a gift (such as the present book) were stamped "Minchat Shai".

Deleted signature on title page.

214; [2], 15 leaves. 31 cm. High-quality paper. First and last leaves in fair condition. Most leaves in fair condition. Stains. Worming in many places on first and last leaves, affecting text and title frame. Margins of several leaves repaired with paper. Original leather binding, detached, with gilt decorations, lacking most of the spine (binding attached with tape instead). Damage and worming to binding.

Shivchei HaRan – with Sichot HaRan, and account of his trip to Eretz Israel, biography and selected discourses of R. Nachman of Breslov, author of Likutei Moharan. Lviv: E. Salat, 1909. On verso of title page and on leaf 2: prayer for Elul.

Copy of Rebbe Avraham Abish Horowitz, Rabbi of Carei, son-in-law of the Chakal Yitzchak of Spinka. On endpaper, his signature: "Avraham Abish Horowitz, Rabbi of the Carei community", and his stamp: "Avraham Abish Horowitz, Rabbi of the community of Carei and the region".

Additional inscriptions, as well as stamp and signature of "Moshe Tzvi Kahana"; another signature on pastedown.

Rebbe Avraham Abish (Abishel) Horowitz, Rabbi of Carei (1897-1944, perished in the Holocaust), son of Rebbe Naftali Horowitz of Melitz (1845-1915) and son-in-law of the Chakal Yitzchak of Spinka.

During World War I, he served in his father-in-law's position as Rabbi of Spinka. In 1934 he was appointed Rabbi of Carei, a position previously held by Rebbe Yoel of Satmar. R. Abishel founded a large yeshiva, Beit Avraham, numbering about a hundred students, most from the Maramureș region. His two sons served as Rebbes of Spinka in the United States and Bnei Brak.

[1], 2-88 leaves. Approx. 16 cm. Dry paper. Fair-good condition. Stains and wear. Small marginal tears to several leaves. Detached leaves. Old binding, worn and detached.

Shulchan Aruch, by Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Baal HaTanya. Czernowitz, Szczecin, Warsaw, Brody, Józefów, Vilna, 1849-1936.

For list of nooks, see Hebrew description.

39 volumes. Size and condition varies. Inscriptions, signatures and stamps. New bindings. Some parts lacking title page or several leaves; the collection has not been thoroughly examined, and is being sold as is.

Imrei Binah, on unity of G-d, by Rebbe Dov Ber, the Mitteler Rebbe of Lubavitch. Part I on the Reading of Shema, and Part II on tzitzit and tefillin. Lviv: Ab. Nis. Suess und B. L. Necheles, [1862]. "Kopust" emphasized on title page.

Distinguished copy, owned by R. Avraham David Lavut, Rabbi of Nikolayev – on title page, his stamp:
"Avraham David Lavut, posek of Nikolayev". This copy was also owned by R. Moshe Nachum Yerushalimsky, Rabbi of Kielce – his stamp on title page:
"Moshe Nachum Yerushalimsky, rabbi of Kielce and the region".

R. Avraham David Lavut (1815-1890), maternal grandfather of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, disciple of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe Maharash and one of the most prominent Chabad rabbis in Russia. Served as Rabbi of Nikolayev (Mikolaiv) and the forty nearby villages for about forty years until his death. Authored several important works, most famously Kav Naki on laws of Gittin (a foundational work still used as a manual by rabbis to this day), and the Torah Or siddur with Shaar HaKollel.

R. Moshe Nachum Yerushalimsky (1855-1916), a leading author of responsa in his generation, renowned for his expertise in the laws of divorce documents and kosher slaughter. He was appointed Rabbi of Kaminka at the age of 25, and went on to serve as Rabbi of Kielce where he became a leader of Polish Jewry.

[2], 82; 25 leaves. Many leaves bound out of order. Approx. 25 cm. Most leaves in good condition. Stains, including dark stains. Creases and wear. Last leaf repaired with paper. Title page and following page in fair-poor condition: dark stains; marginal open tears, affecting title frame, repaired with paper; inscriptions and stamps. Tears to endpapers. Old binding, worn.

Manuscript, selected ideas, sermons, stories and witty remarks heard by the author from various preachers. The notebook contains what the writer heard from his own rabbi and teacher – the Gaon of Lublin, R. Shneur Zalman Liadier, author of Torat Chesed. [Eretz Israel, ca. late 1890s].

Notebook in pocket format. Autograph, with erasures and additions by the writer. The notebook contains various stories and sayings in the name of the Baal HaTanya, the Rabbi of Neshchiz, the Maggid of Mezeritch, R. Moshe of Kobryn, R. Eizik of Vitebsk, R. Yitzchak of Vorka, R. Nachum of Chernobyl and his grandson the Maggid of Trisk, R. Shmuel Abba Slaviter, the Chatam Sofer, R. Chaim [of Volozhin] disciple of the Vilna Gaon, R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, R. Meir of Premishlan, the Haflaah, R. Yisrael Salanter, R. Hirsch Leib Volozhiner [the Netziv of Volozhin], R. Shalom Sharabi, the Chida and others.

On the last page of the notebook, inscription (deleted) in pen:
"Shneur Zalman Liadier, Rabbi of Lublin"; on first page, inscription in Latin characters, including the word "Chabad".

The present notebook was apparently written by a young follower of the Gaon of Lublin in Eretz Israel; at times he cites his own questions asked of his rabbi. The notebook also recounts many stories that occurred in Plotzk and Lublin – the places where the Torat Chesed served as Rabbi before immigrating to Jerusalem.

The notebook was apparently written before Nisan 1902, the date of passing of the Gaon of Lublin, since he is mentioned with blessings for the living. A remark quoted on p. 31 about an event that occurred in Jerusalem in 1897 indicates that the notebook was written after that year.

The beginning of the notebook quotes an unknown story about the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch, experienced by the Torat Chesed as a child: At the age of 3 and a half [ca. 1834], the Torat Chesed knew all kinds of mathematics and measurements. When presented with a Tosafot in Beitzah, he immediately responded acutely. The Tzemach Tzedek praised him, saying that he himself was not like him a child, and he didn't know whether his grandfather [the Baal HaTanya] was like him, and presented him with a quarter ruble. He responded that while Saul gave a quarter silver piece to Samuel the holy man, here the holy man gave to him.

See Hebrew description for further contents.

The Gaon of Lublin, R. Shneur Zalman Liadier (Pradkin), author of Torat Chesed, was born in 1830 in Liadi and was known from childhood as a prodigy and outstanding Torah genius; From 1868 he served as Rabbi of Lublin and was one of the most famous Torah scholars of his generation. In 1892 he immigrated to Jerusalem where he was recognized as a foremost Torah sage (together with Maharil Diskin and R. Shmuel Salant). In 1899 he moved to Hebron (at the request of the Rebbe Rashab of Lubavitch), but returned to Jerusalem shortly thereafter. In 1901, as he grew older, R. Shmuel Salant sought a successor to the Jerusalem rabbinate and invited the Aderet (R. Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim) who was serving as Rabbi of Mir, Lithuania, to take the post; this caused a disturbance in the Chassidic communities of Jerusalem who hoped that the Gaon of Lublin would be appointed. Still, in spite of the controversy, the two rabbis remained close friends and held each other in high esteem. R. Shneur Zalman died in 1902 and the title "Rabbi of the entire Jewish people" is inscribed on his gravestone.

The notebook was written by one of his disciples, in Hebrew, with some sentences in Yiddish and words in Palestinian Arabic. We do not know who the author was, but it is apparent that he had Torah knowledge, but also quoted folk sayings and jokes. The notebook's main importance is in the stories which the author personally heard from the Gaon of Lublin and other rabbis.

Notebook, 13.5 cm. Approx. 93 written pages. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Tears trimmed off first leaf and last two leaves. Leaves and gatherings detached. Without binding. On first and last page, accounting and other inscriptions (including the caption "Shapiro").