Rosh Amanah, principles of faith, by Don Yitzchak Abarbanel. Altona: Moshe son of Mendel Bonn Segal, [1770].

On title page and verso of last leaf, stamps: "Yoel Teitelbaum, Rabbi of Irshava and the region". We surmise that these stamps were made and stamped on the books at a later date than his rabbinic tenure in Irshava – see Kedem, Auction 99, 5 November 2024, Lot 185.

Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar (1887-1979), author of Divrei Yoel, a leader of his generation, president of the Edah HaCharedit in Jerusalem and leader of American Orthodox Jewry, one of the founding pillars of Chassidic Jewry after the Holocaust. Born in Sighet, he was the son of Rebbe Chananiah Yom Tov Lipa, the Kedushat Yom Tov, and grandson of Rebbe Yekutiel Yehudah, the Yitav Lev, who both served as rabbis of Sighet (Sighetu Marmației) and were leaders of Chassidic Jewry in the Maramureș region. He was renowned from his youth for his acumen and intelligence, as well as for his holiness and outstanding purity. After his marriage to the daughter of Rebbe Avraham Chaim Horowitz of Polaniec, he settled in Satmar and taught Torah and Chassidut to an elite group of disciples and followers. He later served as Rabbi of Irshava (1911-1915, 1922-1926), Karoly (Carei; from 1926) and Satmar (Satu Mare; from 1934), managing in each of these places a large yeshiva and Chassidic court. He stood at the helm of faithful, uncompromising Orthodox Jewry in the Maramureș region. During the Holocaust, he was rescued through the famous Kastner Train, and after a journey through Bergen-Belsen, Switzerland and Eretz Israel, he reached the United States, where he established one of the largest Chassidic communities in the world.

At top of title page, old ownership inscription, partially deleted; at bottom of title page, signature: "Eliezer son of R. Shlomo Zalkind" [mentioned in a list of officials of Vilna in the 18th century – see Fuenn, Kiryah Ne'emanah, p. 113].

[3], 1-25, 29-35, [1] leaves. 18.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Light wear. Marginal tear on title page, repaired with tape. Stamp. New leather binding.

Small-format volume with four books by R. Chaim Yosef David Azulai – the Chida: Moreh BaEtzba, Tziporen Shamir, Kesher Gudal and Kaf Achat. Livorno: Eliezer Saadon, [1802].

Divisional title page for each book. At top of first title page, handwritten dedication by the author – the Chida – to the emissary R. Yehudah Aharon Skali: "A small gift to the comprehensive scholar R. Yehudah Aharon HaKohen, may G-d grant him success and favor and bring him home safely. The author".

On verso of title page, self-dedication of R. Yehudah Aharon HaKohen Skali, recipient of the book: "'One who studies gifts will live', from… R. Chaim Yosef David Azulai, the author, may his light shine for me… Yehudah Aharon HaKohen Skali, 1807", with another cursive signature of his.

On leaf 2, stamp of R. Yehudah Aharon HaKohen Skali.

On front endpaper, inscription in Western script: "This book belongs to… Aharon HaKohen… signed Shlomo Gabison HaLevi" [cursive signature].

R. Yehudah Aharon HaKohen Skali, a rabbi of Jerusalem, grandson of R. Yitzchak HaKohen, author of Batei Kehunah. He set out as an emissary from Jerusalem to Italy, and was unusually one of the signatories permitting playing the organ in the Reform synagogue of Hamburg in 1817, although he is believed to have hinted at being compelled to sign. Avraham Yaari (Shluchei Eretz Yisrael, p. 710) dates his mission to Italy to the year 1817, likely based on the above signature, but the self-dedication appears to indicate that he had already received the book from the Chida in 1807!

He continued his journey from Trieste to Tripoli, North Africa, but was captured by pirates on the way there. After the Jews of Ancona redeemed him, he continued on his journey, and later detailed his tribulations in a letter to R. Moshe Elbaz in Sefrou (see: Yaari, ibid.).

Several inscriptions and pen trials on front endpapers.

131, [1] leaves. 14 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Dark inkstains to first leaves. Tears, affecting text on leaves 130-131. Original leather binding (gilt inscriptions of book names on spine, in initials). Tears and defects to binding.

Bookplate of Naphtali Herz van Biema of Amsterdam.

Bookplates of Mozes Heiman Gans. 

Levush HaButz VeArgaman, on Tur Even HaEzer, and Levush Ir Shushan, on Tur Choshen Mishpat, by R. Mordechai Yoffe. Prague: Moshe son of R. Yosef Betzalel Katz, 1609. Second edition, printed in the author's lifetime, with his additions. Two parts in one volume. Title page of Levush Ir Shushan illustrated with figures. Lacking title page of Levush HaButz VeArgaman.

On leaf 2 of Levush HaButz VeArgaman, in Ashkenazic script: "This is an inheritance from[---] R. Azriel". Further inscriptions on this leaf, in Sephardic script: "Avraham Ezovi" [apparently R. Avraham Ezovi, a rabbi of Salonika]; "Nissim Yehoshu[a] Eliezer son of R. Chaim Yehudah Avraham".

Glosses in early Ashkenazic script, some with short glosses, others with copyings from the Tur, Rama and other halachic authorities.

Levush HaButz VeArgaman: 2-116 leaves. Lacking title page. Levush Ir Shushan: 201, 204-209 leaves. Lacking last leaf. 30.5 cm. Some leaves particularly dark. Fair to fair-poor condition. Many stains, including heavy dampstains and traces of former dampness, with mold stains. Wear (much wear to some leaves). Tears and open tears, affecting text, partially repaired with paper. Worming, affecting text. New binding.

Chafetz Chaim, on the laws of lashon hara and rechilut. Vilna, 1877. Corrected second edition.

Bound with: Shemirat HaLashon, (Part I), encouragement and ethics for proper speech and Torah study. Vilna, 1879. Second edition. At end of book, Sefat Tamim, on the prohibition of deceit and lying.

The first books of R. Yisrael Meir HaKohen of Radin, published anonymously, with the author's name appearing only in Russian initials on title page.

On front endpaper, rare inscription handwritten by the Chafetz Chaim: "Defective on some leaves" – in order to note that there are defects in this book. And indeed, there are printing defects on the leaves of the book. On p. 34a of Chafetz Chaim, some lines were misprinted by printing over a crease. On leaf 64, there is a tear in the center of the text with ink smearing, apparently from the time of printing. Other leaves have similar ink smearing, with some letters blurred, from the printing (on p. 142 the top of the page is labeled with an "X", perhaps to mark the defect on this page). The Chafetz Chaim labeled the book as defective in order to avoid defrauding the purchaser.

The Chafetz Chaim used to examine every book for printing errors and misordered pages, and he would mark every book he had personally examined as "proofread". The present book showcases the extent of the Chafetz Chaim's care to detect even minor printing defects before labeling it as proofread.

[1], 2-78 leaves; [1], 2-36, [2] leaves; [3]-14 pages. 22 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including many dampstains and light mold. Wear and many creases. Marginal tears, affecting text on several leaves. Original binding, with wear and defects.

Does not contain divisional title page for Sefat Tamim, as in some copies.

Large assorted collection of books printed in Russia-Poland in the early 19th century, some distinguished copies, with important signatures and ownership inscriptions.

• Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat. Ostroh, 1805. Approbations of R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and R. David Leykes, head of the Beit Din and preacher in Bar, disciple of the Baal Shem Tov.

• Minchat Yaakov, commentary on the Rama by R. Yaakov son of Yosef Reischer. Polonne, [1802 (i.e. 1804)]. Two parts in one volume with divisional title pages.

Copy of R. Yehudah Semnitz (d. 1843), Rabbi of Dolný Štál and dayan in the Beit Din of Maharam Mintz in Alt-Ofen (Budapest).

• Sefer HaTerumot by R. Shmuel HaSardi, with Gidulei Terumah commentary by R. Azariah Piccio. Zhovkva, 1809. Lacking leaves 39-47, 49-52 of fifth sequence (13 leaves). Variant, with approbation of the Maggid of Kozhnitz and list of pre-subscribers.

• Responsa of the Rashba, three parts. Lviv, 1811-1812. Three volumes.

Handwritten references and glosses.

• Maginei Shlomo, Talmudic novellae by R. Yehoshua of Cracow. Lviv, 1816.

Copy of R. Pinchas Aryeh Kahana-Rappaport of Somotor. His ownership inscriptions on endpaper and title page. On title page, another ownership inscription by his grandson R. Meir Eliezer HaKohen Rappaport-Hartstein. Pinchas Aryeh Kahana-Rappaport of Somotor (d. 1843) was a senior follower of the Ujhel-Sighet Chassidic dynasties, a righteous and exceptional Torah scholar, served as shofar blower for the Yismach Moshe in Ujhel.

• Maaseh Rokeach, kabbalistic commentary on the Mishnah by R. Elazar Rokeach, Rabbi of Brody. Mohyliv, [1817]. Second edition.

On title page, signature of "Yochanan Hirsch son of R. M. Schlank" – R. Yochanan Hirsch Schlank (1815-1884), a leader and founder of public institutions in Jerusalem. A disciple of the Chatam Sofer, he immigrated to Jerusalem alongside his father, R. Mordechai Schlank (1773-1861), a prominent disciple of the Chatam Sofer (see: HaChatam Sofer VeTalmidav, pp. 188-189, 335-336).

• Chidushei Maharibatz, Talmudic novellae by R. Yechiel Margaliot. [Ostroh], 1818. Lacking last leaf.

Bound with: Beit HaLevi and Torat HaBayit, commentary and novellae on Tractate Kinim by R. Moshe Elazar son of R. Shmuel Zanvil HaLevi. Ostroh, [1818. Second edition]. Lacking title page.

• Levush Ateret Zahav, Yoreh Deah, by R. Mordechai Yoffe, the Levush. Berditchev, [1819]. With printer's device on title page.

• Levush HaButz VehaArgaman, Even HaEzer. Berditchev, [1819]. With printer's device on title page. Lacking last 4 leaves.

• Ohel Yitzchak, on Shechitot UBedikot by R. Yaakov (Mahari) Weil, by R. Yitzchak son of Eliezer. Lviv, 1819.

Ownership inscriptions and signatures, including "Meshulam Feish Rottenberg" [Rebbe Meshulam Feish Rottenberg of Koson-Boro Park (1932-2014), son and successor of Rebbe Pinchas Shalom HaLevi Rottenberg of Koson-Bronx-Boro Park].

• Atzei Levonah, on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah, by R. Nisan son of R. Aharon of Dubno. Sudylkiv, 1834. First edition. Bluish paper.

Copy of R. Refael Silberman, Rabbi of Safed. On title page and other places, his signature and stamps. Stamps of his grandson and spiritual successor, R. Avraham Leib Silberman (1839-1918), head of the Safed Beit Din and later Rabbi of the Ashkenazic community of the city for over forty years. Son and successor of R. Mordechai Silberman (1819-1872) of Uman.

12 books in 13 volumes. Varying size and condition. New bindings. The collection has not been thoroughly examined, and is being sold as is.