Auction 048 Rebbes of Satmar, Sighet and Bobov - Books, Objects, Letters and Manuscripts, Broadsides and Printed Items
Two polemic books printed by the two sides, during the split in the Sighet community:
1. Ohev Mishpat. Published by the "Sefardic" community in Sighet. Lviv: Felix Bednarski, 1887. Two title pages.
[4], 16 pages; [24], 25-104 leaves. 21.5 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. Paper repairs on verso of first title page. Wormhole through half the book. New binding.
2. Open letter and Milchemet Mitzvah. Sighet: Menachem Mendel Wieder, 1888. Includes booklets published during the course of the polemic: Ein Mishpat, Yashuv Mishpat and Emek HaMishpat. On the title page, stamp of R. Chaim Dov Gross of Munkacs (d. 1938), close attendant of the Minchat Elazar.
[2], 2-157, [2] leaves (some leaves are not numbered – the three booklets which were distributed independently before the printing of the book was completed). 24.5 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. Marginal tears and minor open tears to some leaves, not affecting text. New binding.
The Split in the Sighet Community
In 1883-1890, a stormy controversy broke out in Sighet between the members of the community who joined the Central Bureau of the Autonomous Orthodox Jewish Communities, and a group of community members who refused to be subordinate to the bureau, and established an independent, Status Quo "Sefardic" community. The Orthodox community was headed by the Yitav Lev and the Kedushat Yom Tov of Sighet, while the seceding camp was led by the powerful Kahana family, and some Vizhnitz Chassidim.
With time, the split in the Sighet community affected many other Hungarian communities, with most the Hungarian rabbis, as well as many rabbis from Galicia and Poland, taking sides in the polemic.
Printed proclamation, rabbinic prohibition to vote for the Zionists. Orsheva (Irshava), "Tuesday Parashat Vayikra" [5th Adar II] 1924.
Letter from R. Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky Rabbi of Khust, forbidding voting for the Zionist parties in the elections to the Czechoslovak parliament in March 1924.
Followed by an approbation signed by Rebbe Yisrael Yaakov Yukel Teitelbaum Rabbi of Volova, Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum and R. Chim Meir Hager of Vizhnitz.
Since such a ban was illegal, the rabbis were forced to supposedly retract it in a proclamation issued the following day (see following item, no. 71).
[1] leaf. 28.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Stains and minor wear. Tear repaired with tape on verso. Stamp of the Jewish-Hungarian periodical Múlt és Jövő (Past and Future).
Printed proclamation, denial of the ban issued by the rabbis on voting for the Zionist parties in the elections for the Czechoslovak parliament. Orsheva (Irshava), "Wednesday Parashat Vayikra" [6th Adar II] 1924. Munkacs: Bernhard Meisels.
In the proclamation, the rabbis deny the prohibition published in their name to vote for the Zionist parties. Signed by Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar, R. Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, R. Chaim Meir Hager, and Rebbe Yisrael Yaakov Yukel Teitelbaum Rabbi of Volova.
With the approach of the Czechoslovak elections, the aforementioned rabbis had issued the day before (5th Adar II 1924) a proclamation forbidding voting for the Zionist parties (see previous item). Since such a ban was illegal, they were forced to retract it in the present proclamation (presumably only outwardly, for the authorities).
[1] leaf. 23.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Tears to margins and folds. Minor wear.
Proclamation against Zionsim and the Mizrachi movement. Sighet, 1930.
The main part of the leaf contains a proclamation originally published in Av 1920 in Grosswardein (Oradea), prohibiting joining or assisting the Zionist and Mizrachi movements, signed by the leading rebbes and rabbis in Transylvania and Maramureș: R. Moshe David Teitelbaum Rabbi of Magyarlápos, R. Shaul Brach Rabbi of Karoly, Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum, and others.
The proclamation is followed by an approbation dated 1930, signed by the rabbis and dayanim of Sighet: R. Shlomo Dov HaLevi Heller (son-in-law of the Erech Shai), R. David Meir Tabak (son of the Erech Shai) and R. Yekutiel Yehuda Gross (previously rabbi of Berbești).
[1] leaf. 32 cm. Good condition. Folding marks and creases. Minor wear. Minor marginal open tears, repaired in part with tape on verso.
Printed proclamation against Zionism and the Mizrachi movement. Khust-Karoly, Nissan-Iyar 1933.
In the right-hand column, letter from R. Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, prohibiting joining the Zionist and Mizrachi movements or participating in their meetings. Khust, Thursday Parashat Vayikra [3rd Nissan] 1933.
In the left-hand column, similar letter from Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum. Karoly (Carei), [4th Iyar] 1933.
Approx. 29X20.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Tears and minor wear.
Illustration of fish at the center of the leaves, with the inscription "Adar – Mazal Dagim", within decorative frames with floral and geometric motifs and Stars of David.
Approx. 42.5X31.5 cm. Overall good condition. Creases and wear. Minor marginal tears. One copy linen-backed for preservation (with open tear to upper margin, affecting border, repaired with paper).
8 copies. 86.5X59 cm – 82X59 cm. Condition varies; overall good to good-fair condition.
See Hebrew description for list of siddurim.
8 volumes (three in pocket format). Size and condition vary. New bindings (mostly elegant leather bindings).
See Hebrew description for list of works.
8 volumes. Size and condition vary. New bindings (including some with elegant leather bindings).
Zikaron LaRishonim, biographies of rabbis of Sighet. • Satmar, 1909. • Israel, 1969 (photocopy edition of Satmar 1909 edition.
• Zechor Et Satmar, memorial book of the Jewish community in Satmar. Bnei Brak, 1984. Hebrew and Hungarian.
3 volumes. Size and condition vary. Original or new bindings. Overall good condition.
Pe'er VeChavod, biographies of Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum the Yismach Moshe, his grandson Rebbe Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum the Yitav Lev, Rebbe Shalom Rokeach the Sar Shalom and his son Rebbe Yehoshua of Belz, by R. Dov Ber Ehrman. Munkacs: Meisels Bernat & Gartenberg, 1911. First edition.
On the verso of the title page, signature (penciled) of the author – authorizing the purchase of the book from him.
The author, R. Dov Ber Ehrman of Kleinwardein (Kisvárda; ca. 1860-1944), grandson of R. Natan Eliyahu Ehrman Rabbi of Irša, descendant of Chacham Tzvi. Disciple of his uncle Maharam Schick and of R. Avraham Yehuda Leib Schwartz author of Kol Aryeh. He frequented the courts of the rebbes of Belz, Sighet and Munkacs.
[1], [3], 2-48 leaves. 22 cm. Good condition. Stains and minor wear. Stamps. New leather binding.
Including: printed wrappers, not listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book.
Huge collection, comprising 92 issues of the Torah monthly Ohel Yitzchak, edited by R. Yitzchak Klein of Satmar. Satmar and the Maramureș region (Szaszfalu and Seini), 1903-1914.
92 issues of the Ohel Yitzchak Torah monthly.
Stamps of the editor R. Yitzchak Klein; inscriptions of a student in the yeshiva of the Keren LeDavid in Satmar; subscriber labels.
The editor, R. Yitzchak Klein of Satmar (1861 – perished in the Holocaust), dayan and posek of the Status Quo community in Satmar, and later head of the Beit Din.
19 volumes (92 issues, including 7 bi-monthlies). Size and condition vary. Overall good condition. Signatures, stamps and inscriptions. Mostly bound in new bindings.