Auction 88 - Part I - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Part of the binding of the Tanach from which the Gaon of Vilna studied.
Front board; an old piece of paper pasted to it reads: "Tanach which our master, the rabbi of the entire Jewish people, the Chassid, the Gaon of Vilna studied from".
Ownership inscription on the verso of the board, on the pastedown: "R. Yaakov Moshe grandson of the Gaon". This Tanach (or the binding alone) was presumably passed down from the Gaon of Vilna to his grandson R. Yaakov Moshe of Slonim (son of R. Avraham son of the Gaon of Vilna; a tremendous Torah scholar and a prominent descendant of the Gaon of Vilna who was very involved in editing and publishing the writings of the Gaon).
Front board. Approx. 20 cm. Leather-covered wood, with part of ornamented metal clasp. Fair condition. Worming and wear.
The binding was displayed at the exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of the passing of the Gaon of Vilna in Beit Hatfutsot, Tel Aviv, Winter 1998. See exhibition catalogue, The Gaon of Vilna: The Man and His Legacy, p. 84.
Provenance: The Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection, Jerusalem.
The Gaon of Vilna Would Hold the Binding of the Book While Learning
A testimony from one of the leading Lithuanian Torah scholars, who had the merit of observing the Gaon of Vilna while learning, is published in the book Meorei Beit Yitzchak (Jerusalem 1866, pp. 52a-b), by R. Uri Yitzchak Eizik son of R. Abba Kadesh, in the name of his grandfather R. Aharon Rabbi of Wysokie (Vysokaye). R. Aharon, who merited to visit the Gaon of Vilna in his study room, reported how he saw him learning, stressing the fact that rather than resting his book on the table, the Gaon of Vilna, held it in both hands, one hand supporting one side and the other hand supporting the other side, out of honor for the Torah.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
![Maaseh Rav, practices of the Gaon of Vilna, by R. Yissachar Ber, posek in Vilna. Vilna and Horodna, [1832]. First edition. Or](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale88a/160.jpg "Maaseh Rav – First Edition – Vilna and Horodna, 1832")
Maaseh Rav, practices of the Gaon of Vilna, by R. Yissachar Ber, posek in Vilna. Vilna and Horodna, [1832]. First edition.
Originally printed with two title pages. The present copy is lacking the first title page.
First edition of one of the most important books regarding the customs of the Gaon of Vilna. The book records the customs and rulings of the Gaon of Vilna, based on the personal testimonies of his disciples.
[1], 67 pages. Lacking first title page. 20 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains. wear. Worming. Many inscriptions, signatures and stamps. Old binding, worn.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 808.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Sefer HaTishbi, lexicon of Hebrew words, by R. Eliyahu Bachur. Horodna: Yechezkel son of Moshe, Simcha Simmel son of Menachem Nachum and Simcha Simmel son of Yechezkel, 1805.
On the title page, signature of R. Yissachar Ber, posek in Vilna, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna and author of Maaseh Rav. Ownership inscription of R. Yissachar Ber on the back endpaper. On the front endpaper, signature and ownership inscription of his son, R. Eliyahu Peretz, posek in Vilna, and German ownership inscription of R. Yissachar Ber.
Two glosses, possibly handwritten by R. Yissachar Ber.
R. Yissachar Ber (1779-1855), posek in Vilna alongside R. Avraham Abele Posweller, R. Shaul Katzenellenbogen and the Chayei Adam. He studied in the Kloiz of the Gaon of Vilna, where he merited to receive Torah from him. He is particularly renowned for the book Maaseh Rav, in which he records the practices of his teacher the Gaon of Vilna. His son R. Eliyahu Peretz (1806-1867) succeeded him as posek in Vilna.
4, [1], 7-10, 10-62, [1], 63-66 leaves. Approx. 21 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains and wear. Inscriptions. Censorship signature and stamp on title page. Original binding, damaged.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Pe'at HaShulchan, laws pertaining to Eretz Israel, by R. Yisrael of Shklow, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna. Safed: R. Yisrael Bak, [1836]. First edition.
Owner's stamp.
[5], 2-109, [1] leaves. 28.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Worming, affecting text. Tears to inner margins, repaired in part with tape and paper. Leaves trimmed close to text in some places. Censorship inscriptions and stamp. Old binding, with worming and minor wear.
One of the last books published in Safed before the 1837 earthquake. Includes final leaf – errata, which appears in some copies only.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Aderet Eliyahu, commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Neviim and Ketuvim – collection of editions published by R. Eliyahu Landau, descendant of the Gaon of Vilna, with color maps:
• Jerusalem, [1905?] – three copies (one bound with another book), each with a map of Eretz Israel and a plan of the Third Temple. Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, nos. 29-30.
• Jerusalem, 1941 – with a map of Eretz Israel. Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 32.
5 books in 4 volumes. Size and condition vary.
Provenance: The Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection, Jerusalem.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.