Korban Netanel, novellae on Piskei HaRosh to Orders Moed and Nashim, by R. Netanel Weil. Karlsruhe, [1755].
Copy of R. Yechezkel Landau Rabbi of Prague, author of Noda BiYehuda. Inscription written by his son on the title page: "This book belongs to my father, the renowned R. Yechezkel HaLevi Landau, rabbi and dean here in the community of Prague, capital city". The name Yechezkel in Atbash cipher was written beneath the inscription.
Many inscriptions on the front endpaper and three back endpapers, mostly in German, attesting that the book belongs to the "chief rabbi of Prague", R. Yechezkel Landau "from the city of Apta in Poland". One of the inscriptions is signed (in German and Hebrew) by "Wolf Elbogen". Another inscription is dated July 1790.
Gloss on p. 50b, handwritten by the Noda BiYehuda, relating critically to the words of the author: " Begging the pardon of the honorable author who did not understand the meaning…".
R. Yechezkel HaLevi Segal Landau (1713-1793) was a leading Halachic authority of all times, which the entire Jewish nation relied upon. He was born in Apta, Poland, to a family of distinguished lineage. From a young age, he was renowned as a leading Torah scholar of his generation. From the age of 13 until 30, he resided in Brody, a thriving Torah center in those times, home to the celebrated Kloiz – Beit Midrash renowned for the study of all realms of Torah, and for the famous compositions on the Talmud, in Halachah and in Kabbalah which it produced. He served for about ten years as the rabbi of one of the four Batei Din in Brody. During his stay inBrody, he became close to the Kloiz scholars, including R. Chaim Sanzer and R. Gershon of Kitov (brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov). During those years, he studied the Arizal's writings together with R. Chaim Sanzer, a leading scholar in the Kloiz.
In ca. 1745, he went to serve as rabbi of Jampol, and in 1754, he began serving as rabbi of Prague and the region. In Prague, he led his community fearlessly, becoming a foremost leader of his generation. He established a large yeshiva there, in which he educated thousands of disciples, including many of the leaders of that generation (his disciple R. Elazar Fleckeles, author of Teshuva MeAhava, eulogized him: "He edified several thousands of disciples, including hundreds of rabbis and dayanim". Olat HaChodesh HaShlishi, 17, p. 85a). Thousands of questions were addressed to him from far-flung places. Approximately 850 of his responsa were published in Noda BiYehuda. His books published in his lifetime, Responsa Noda BiYehuda – Mahadura Kama and Tzelach on Tractate Pesachim and Berachot, earned him worldwide fame already then (Noda BiYehuda – Mahadura Tinyana, printed after his passing, Prague 1811, includes hundreds of his responsa to questions about his first book, addressed to him from various places).
The Chida in Shem HaGedolim greatly praises the book Noda BiYehuda as well as its author, describing him as an exceptionally outstanding Torah scholar who disseminated much Torah through his books and disciples, and mentions the acuity and extensive Torah wisdom apparent in his responsa and books. The Noda BiYehuda himself wrote in a responsum regarding one of his novellae, that in his opinion it is a true Torah thought (Even HaEzer, Mahadura Tinyana, section 23, 2). The Chatam Sofer relates to this responsum in one of his responsa (Part II, Even HaEzer, section 95): "The words of G-d are in his mouth, truth".
The author of this book, R. Netanel Weil (1687-1769), was a leading Torah scholar in the times of the Noda BiYehuda. A disciple of R. Avraham Broda. He served as rabbi of Prague until the expulsion of the Jews from Bohemia in 1744 (approx. a decade before the Noda BiYehuda came to Prague), when he went to serve as rabbi in Germany, first in Schwartzwald (Black Forest), and later in Karlsruhe (at the end of this book, he relates his life story from the day of his birth until his arrival in Karlsruhe). He was renowned for posterity for his book Korban Netanel, which was first published as an independent book and later incorporated in the Talmud editions of Vilna and Slavita, and since printed in all Talmud editions until this day. The Noda BiYehuda exchanged halachic correspondence with him. The Noda BiYehuda quotes the Korban Netanel in his books, and even differs from him (see their disagreement on the issue of immersing in hot water on Shabbat; Responsa Noda BiYehuda, Mahadura Tinyana, Orach Chaim, sections 24-25). The son of the Korban Netanel, R. Yedidia Tia Weil, was a disciple of the Noda BiYehuda in Prague (the Noda BiYehuda refers to him in a letter to the Korban Netanel: "His son, my friend, the great rabbi, R. Tia"; Responsa Noda BiYehuda, Mahadura Kama, Even HaEzer, section 37).
Inscription on the final leaf: "I studied under the outstanding rabbi, R. Tia Weil, son of the author of Korban Netanel, Leib son of … Segal".
[2], 148, [3] leaves. 32 cm. Good condition. Stains (dark stains to several leaves). Tears to several leaves. Open tears to one index leaf at end of book, affecting text (repaired with paper). New leather binding.