Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat – with Rashi and Tosafot, Piskei Tosafot, Rambam's commentary on Mishnayot, and Rabbenu Asher. [Venice: Daniel Bomberg, 1530]. Second edition.
Volume from the second Talmud edition printed by Daniel Bomberg in Venice.
On p. 157b, text of the Hadran recited upon the completion of a tractate. Concludes with the regular kaddish, rather than the special kaddish usually recited nowadays at a siyum.
Many handwritten references and markings in the margins and body of text. After the kaddish at end of tractate, note in early Ashkenazic script with text to be recited at a siyum (from Shimush Tehillim).

Incomplete copy. 3-8, 10-191 leaves. Lacking 4 leaves: title page, leaves 2, 9, and final leaf (replaced in photocopy). 35.5 cm. Fair condition. Many stains, including dampstains and dark stains. Wear. Tears, including tears affecting text, repaired with paper. Large marginal open tears to several leaves, slightly affecting text, repaired with paper (with handwritten text replacement on one leaf). Worming, affecting text. Many stamps (over text in several places). New leather binding.

Habermann, The Printer Daniel Bomberg, no. 19.

Novellae on Tractate Chullin by the Rashba (R. Shlomo ibn Aderet). Venice: Daniel Bomberg, 1523. First edition.
Printed concurrently to three other books: Chiddushei Gittin and Chiddushei Berachot by the Rashba, and Chiddushei Bava Batra by the Ramban.
Ownership inscription on the title page, in Italian script: "This book is mine, Shemaya Baruch…". Another inscription above it: "…I, Meir Baruch". The first signatory is presumably R. Shemaya Baruch, brother of R. Yehoshua Boaz author of Shiltei HaGiborim. R. Shemaya Baruch was a prominent banker in Cherasco (Piedmont region). The second signatory is presumably his son Meir, who is mentioned in his testament (see: R. Avraham Yosef Chavatzelet, The Book Shiltei HaGiborim – Who Authored It? Moriah, year 18, issue 7-8, Tammuz 1992, p. 99; Boksenboim, Letters of Jewish Teachers [Hebrew], p. 346).
Signature in Sephardic script: "Purchased from R. David Guez, I, Refael Burgel" [R. David Guez was a Torah scholar in Tunis in the late 18th century]; "Eliezer Valobra" (signature deleted and damaged).

133, [1] leaves. 26 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including minor dampstains. Worming, affecting text (some leaves with extensive worming to inner margins), repaired in part with paper. New leather binding.

Habermann, The Printer Daniel Bomberg, no. 79.

Babylonian Talmud – complete set. Munich-Heidelberg, 1948. "Published by the Union of Rabbis in the American Occupation Zone in Germany".
After WWII, the demand for Talmud and holy books by surviving Jews congregated in the DP camps exceeded the few available copies. From 1946, the Union of Rabbis in Germany, with the assistance of the American army and the JDC, began to print volumes of Talmud for survivors. At first, only a few tractates were printed in various formats. In 1948, the present edition – a complete edition of the Talmud – was printed for the first time. Each volume contains two title pages. The first title page was especially designed to commemorate the printing of the Talmud on the scorched soil of Germany; on its upper part is an illustration of a Jewish town with the caption "From slavery to redemption and from darkness to great light"; on its lower part is an illustration of barbed wire fences and a labor camp, with the captions: "Labor camp in Germany during Nazi era", "They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not thy precepts" (Psalms 119).

19 volumes. Lacking title page of Tractate Megillah. 40 cm. Most volumes printed on dry paper. Overall good condition. Stains. Tears, including tears to some title pages. Marginal open tears to title pages of Tractate Shabbat (strips of paper on verso of first title page, around margins; second title page mounted on paper for reinforcement). Creases to some title pages. New leather bindings (uniform).

Meor Einayim, Chassidic essays on the Torah, by Rebbe Menachem Nachum [Twersky] of Chernobyl. Slavita: [R. Moshe Shapira, 1798]. First edition.
Meor Einayim is a fundamental work of the Chassidic movement, and one of the first Chassidic compositions presenting the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezeritch. The author, the maggid R. Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl (1730-1798, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, III, pp. 168-175), was one of the founders of Chassidut and the progenitor of the Chernobyl dynasty. He studied directly from the Baal Shem Tov and was a close disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch. He served as maggid in Norynsk, Pohrebyshche and Chernobyl. He acceded to his disciples' entreaties to print his teachings and delegated the task to his disciple R. Eliyahu son of R. Zev Wolf Katz, instructing him to publish his writings in the "fine and exceptional printing press established in Slavita…" (the printing press of R. Moshe Shapira, then in its early years).
The book was allegedly originally eighteen times longer, but when arranging it for printing, R. Nachum of Chernobyl commanded his disciples to burn many leaves, leaving only the teachings which were divinely inspired. His writings were divided by his disciples into two parts, one part on the Torah, including selections, published under the title Meor Einayim (the present book), and a second part pertaining to Talmudic aggadot, named Yismach Lev. The two parts were printed in Slavita the same year. In later editions, the two parts were combined and published together, under the title Meor Einayim. R. Nachum of Chernobyl passed away during the course of the book's preparation for print.
Chassidic leaders ascribed great importance and holiness to the book, studying it every day and preserving it as a protection. The Chozeh of Lublin and R. Yitzchak of Skver (grandson of the author) reputedly said that the book has the power to light up the person's soul, similarly to the Zohar, and R. Yitzchak Izek of Komarno asserted that Meor Einayim should never depart from before one's eyes, as all the teachings it contains are lofty and holy.
Ownership inscriptions and stamps (indistinct): "…R. Moshe ---", "Belongs to R. Shimshon[?]".

[2], 160 leaves. 19 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains, traces of past dampness and dark stains. Worming affecting text, repaired in part with paper. Marginal open tears to title page and several other leaves, repaired with paper (several leaves were presumably supplied from a different copy and remargined for conformity). New leather binding.
Without Yismach Lev, which was printed concurrently.

Arizal Siddur Kol Yaakov, Part I – weekday prayers, and Part II – prayers for Shabbat and festivals, with homilies and the kavanot of the Arizal, by the kabbalist R. Yaakov Koppel Lifshitz of Mezeritch. Slavita: R. Dov Ber Segal and R. Dov Ber son of R. Pesach, [1804]. First edition.
The Kol Yaakov siddur with commentaries, kavanot, laws and customs based on kabbalah, was particularly cherished by foremost Chassidic leaders. Many of them prayed regularly from this siddur, retaining it continually on their table, including the Maggid of Kozhnitz, the maggid R. Mordechai of Chernobyl, the Arvei Nachal and R. Avraham of Tshechnov. Some of them even wrote glosses in the margins of the siddur. R. Asher Tzvi of Ostroh writes in his approbation to the siddur: "I have heard that the holy Baal Shem Tov saw this siddur and deemed it fit".
The kabbalist R. Yaakov Koppel of Mezeritch also composed the kabbalistic work Shaarei Gan Eden (Korets, 1803). The title page of the latter states that a reliable source related how this siddur was brought before the Baal Shem Tov, and he read a few verses from it, hugged and kissed it, expressing great reverence for it. The scholars of Mezeritch likewise write in their approbations of the veneration the Baal Shem Tov displayed for this siddur. R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev praises the author in his approbation: "He is already renowned amongst the Jewish people as a reliable kabbalist, who's words all emanate from Divine Inspiration".
R. Yaakov Koppel's books are adapted and edited compilations of the writings of the Remak, R. Chaim Vital and R. Yisrael Sarug, with the addition of his own novellae.
Signature on the title page: "Avraham Dov Ber son of R. M.A. Anshel of Novardok", with his stamps on the title page and other leaves; trimmed stamps: "…son of R. Meir Karelitz?".

[6], 156; 134, 146-153, 155-188 leaves. Three handwritten leaves bound alternately between leaves 186-188, with the text of those leaves (presumably due to extensive worming to original leaves). 19.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Many stains, including dark dampstains. Extensive worming, affecting text, repaired in part with paper (significant worming to final three leaves). Open tears affecting text, repaired with paper. Minor tear to title page, repaired with paper on verso. Margins of several leaves trimmed. Several leaves presumably provided from a different copy. New leather binding.