Birkat David, Chassidic commentary on the Five Books of the Torah, by Rebbe Avraham David Wahrman of Buchach. Lviv, [1845]. First edition.

On the verso of the title page is printed the verse "The Torah of the Lord is perfect" in large letters, below which it is noted that the approbations were not printed "for a secret reason". Apparently, the omission of approbations was part of the obfuscation of printing details, for the same reason that a false printer and date were given on the title page – see below.

Rebbe Avraham David Wahrman, the "Gaon of Buchach" (1770-1840), a leading Torah scholar and Chassidic figure, and prominent posek in his times. After his marriage, he embraced Chassidut and became close to the most eminent rebbes of his times: R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, R. Moshe Leib of Sassov, R. Chaim of Czernowitz and R. Tzvi Hirsh of Nadvorna. Around the age of 20, he was appointed rabbi of the city of Yazlovets. In 1814, he was appointed rabbi of Buchach, succeeding his father-in-law and teacher R. Tzvi Hirsh Kara, Rabbi of Buchach and author of Neta Sha'ashuim. He was renowned as an outstanding Torah scholar and tzaddik. His halachic works became classics in halachic rulings and his Eshel Avraham is cited thousands of times in halachic literature.

Handwritten ownership inscription on verso of last page.

[2], 182 leaves. 23 cm. Bluish paper. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains and dark stains. Worming in a few places to several leaves. New binding.

False imprint on title page for Jihdas Rosanis, 1800 and 5565. The true date of printing is hinted at the end of the book, where the signature of the publisher contains a chronogram for 1845. This type of falsification was common in Chassidic books printed in Galicia at that time, due to censorship restrictions and the persecution of Chassidim by the Haskalah movement (A. Yaari lists 16 books with similar false imprints; see: A. Yaari, The Printing Press of Rebbetzin Yehudit Rosanes in Lviv, Kiryat Sefer, XVII, 1940, p. 107, No. 43 [Hebrew]).