Auction 72 - Rare and Important Items
Babylonian Talmud – Slavita, 1817-1822 – Complete Set
Opening: $20,000
Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000
Sold for: $75,000
Including buyer's premium
23-volume set – Babylonian Talmud with commentaries. Slavita: R. Moshe Shapira Rabbi of Slavita, son of R. Pinchas of Korets, [1817-1822]. With approbations by leading Chassidic masters: the Baal HaTanya, the Ohev Yisrael of Apta and R. Yisrael of Pikov.
Complete set (missing only three leaves), containing all the Talmudic tractates, in good condition and bound in new leather bindings. Title pages printed in red and black.
The printing of this edition took place under heavy competition with the printer R. Yisrael Yoffe of Kopust (Kopys), who printed the Talmud in 1816-1828 (see Responsa Sheerit Yehuda, Brooklyn 2009, Yoreh Deah, chapter 39, p. 288; for further information about this edition, see Kedem Online Auction 15, item 144, and enclosed material). Yet "it is self-understood that everyone went to buy his edition [of R. Moshe Shapira of Slavita], which is very beautiful and contains many commentaries" (R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz, in his book Maamar al Hadpasat HaTalmud, p. 131).
This is the first edition in which the Rif (Rav Alfas), the Mordechai and the Tosefta were appended to the appropriate tractate in the same volume (previously, these works were printed in separate volumes). For these sections, the printers used gatherings from the Rav Alfas edition they printed in Slavita in 1817-1819. Therefore, in this edition, title pages for these sections only appear in the first volumes of Seder Nashim and Seder Nezikin (Yevamot and Bava Kama), and in the other volumes the pagination is continued from the previous volume. The sections of Rav Alfas for Tractates Berachot, Bava Metzia, Nedarim and Shevuot were not included.
23 volumes. Complete set (with the exception of three leaves, see details below). Berachot and Mishnayot of Seder Zera'im, 1818-1822: [1], 137; 70 leaves. • Shabbat, 1817: [1], 189; 49; 92 leaves. • Eruvin, 1817: [1], 129; 22; 89-131 leaves. • Pesachim, 1817: [1], 4-137; 24; 130-173 leaves. Lacking first two leaves. • Rosh Hashanah, Yoma, Sukkah, 1818: 40; 5; 206-221; 105; 10; 222-230; 66; 14; 230-257 leaves. • Beitza, Chagiga, Moed Katan, Yerushalmi Shekalim, 1818: 50; 9; 182-184 (recte 208); 28; 6; 44; 3; 278-303; 13 leaves. • Megillah, Taanit, 1818: 38; 6; 257-278; 36; 6; 169-180 leaves. Lacking last leaf of Mordechai. • Yevamot, 1818: [1], 144; 24, [1], 62 leaves. • Ketubot, 1818: [1], 147; 25, [1], 63-145 leaves. • Nedarim, 1818: 102; 7 leaves. • Nazir, Sotah, 1818: 68; 51; 8-19 leaves. • Gittin, 1818: [1], 111; 22; 144-207 leaves. Title page mounted on paper for restoration, concealing text on verso. • Kiddushin, 1819: 96; 19; 206-255 leaves. • Bava Kama, 1819: 150; 18; 61 leaves. • Bava Metzia, 1820: 166; 25 leaves. • Bava Batra, 1820: [1], 217; 36; 154-259 leaves. • Sanhedrin, 1820: 126; 41; 257-283 • Shevuot, 1826 (recte 1820): 60; 10 leaves. • Makot, Avodah Zara, Horayot, Eduyot, Avot, Avot D'Rabbi Natan, Minor Tractates and Eight Chapters of Maimonides, 1820-1821: 27; 6; 282-287; [1], 99; 16; 330-378; 17; 36; 45 leaves. • Zevachim, Menachot, 1821: 126, [1], 117 leaves. • Chulin, 1822: [1], 214; 32; 255-380 leaves. • Bechorot, Arachin, Temurah, Keritot, Me'ila, Kinnim, Tamid, Midot, 1821-1822: 80; 7; 37; 35; 30; 40, [2] leaves. Two illustrated leaves. • Nidah and Mishnayot of Seder Taharot, 1821-1822; 106; 18; 171 leaves.
34 cm. Mostly bluish paper. Condition varies. Most leaves are in good condition. Stains. Wear, tears and worming to some volumes. New leather bindings.
In the first volume, the chronogram on the title page of Tractate Berachot is 1822 and not 1817 (as it should have been and as it appears in other copies of this volume). Possibly, this is only an error which befell some copies or it may be that upon concluding the printing of this edition, additional volumes of Tracate Berachot were printed because this tractate was in greater demand. Another possibility is that only the title pages were reprinted at a later date for replacement in a number of copies.
The chronogram of Tractate Shevuot was mistakenly printed: 1826 (instead of 1820). The chronogram of Tractate Makot is 1820, different from the copy in NLI which is incorrectly dated 1810.
Complete set (missing only three leaves), containing all the Talmudic tractates, in good condition and bound in new leather bindings. Title pages printed in red and black.
The printing of this edition took place under heavy competition with the printer R. Yisrael Yoffe of Kopust (Kopys), who printed the Talmud in 1816-1828 (see Responsa Sheerit Yehuda, Brooklyn 2009, Yoreh Deah, chapter 39, p. 288; for further information about this edition, see Kedem Online Auction 15, item 144, and enclosed material). Yet "it is self-understood that everyone went to buy his edition [of R. Moshe Shapira of Slavita], which is very beautiful and contains many commentaries" (R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz, in his book Maamar al Hadpasat HaTalmud, p. 131).
This is the first edition in which the Rif (Rav Alfas), the Mordechai and the Tosefta were appended to the appropriate tractate in the same volume (previously, these works were printed in separate volumes). For these sections, the printers used gatherings from the Rav Alfas edition they printed in Slavita in 1817-1819. Therefore, in this edition, title pages for these sections only appear in the first volumes of Seder Nashim and Seder Nezikin (Yevamot and Bava Kama), and in the other volumes the pagination is continued from the previous volume. The sections of Rav Alfas for Tractates Berachot, Bava Metzia, Nedarim and Shevuot were not included.
23 volumes. Complete set (with the exception of three leaves, see details below). Berachot and Mishnayot of Seder Zera'im, 1818-1822: [1], 137; 70 leaves. • Shabbat, 1817: [1], 189; 49; 92 leaves. • Eruvin, 1817: [1], 129; 22; 89-131 leaves. • Pesachim, 1817: [1], 4-137; 24; 130-173 leaves. Lacking first two leaves. • Rosh Hashanah, Yoma, Sukkah, 1818: 40; 5; 206-221; 105; 10; 222-230; 66; 14; 230-257 leaves. • Beitza, Chagiga, Moed Katan, Yerushalmi Shekalim, 1818: 50; 9; 182-184 (recte 208); 28; 6; 44; 3; 278-303; 13 leaves. • Megillah, Taanit, 1818: 38; 6; 257-278; 36; 6; 169-180 leaves. Lacking last leaf of Mordechai. • Yevamot, 1818: [1], 144; 24, [1], 62 leaves. • Ketubot, 1818: [1], 147; 25, [1], 63-145 leaves. • Nedarim, 1818: 102; 7 leaves. • Nazir, Sotah, 1818: 68; 51; 8-19 leaves. • Gittin, 1818: [1], 111; 22; 144-207 leaves. Title page mounted on paper for restoration, concealing text on verso. • Kiddushin, 1819: 96; 19; 206-255 leaves. • Bava Kama, 1819: 150; 18; 61 leaves. • Bava Metzia, 1820: 166; 25 leaves. • Bava Batra, 1820: [1], 217; 36; 154-259 leaves. • Sanhedrin, 1820: 126; 41; 257-283 • Shevuot, 1826 (recte 1820): 60; 10 leaves. • Makot, Avodah Zara, Horayot, Eduyot, Avot, Avot D'Rabbi Natan, Minor Tractates and Eight Chapters of Maimonides, 1820-1821: 27; 6; 282-287; [1], 99; 16; 330-378; 17; 36; 45 leaves. • Zevachim, Menachot, 1821: 126, [1], 117 leaves. • Chulin, 1822: [1], 214; 32; 255-380 leaves. • Bechorot, Arachin, Temurah, Keritot, Me'ila, Kinnim, Tamid, Midot, 1821-1822: 80; 7; 37; 35; 30; 40, [2] leaves. Two illustrated leaves. • Nidah and Mishnayot of Seder Taharot, 1821-1822; 106; 18; 171 leaves.
34 cm. Mostly bluish paper. Condition varies. Most leaves are in good condition. Stains. Wear, tears and worming to some volumes. New leather bindings.
In the first volume, the chronogram on the title page of Tractate Berachot is 1822 and not 1817 (as it should have been and as it appears in other copies of this volume). Possibly, this is only an error which befell some copies or it may be that upon concluding the printing of this edition, additional volumes of Tracate Berachot were printed because this tractate was in greater demand. Another possibility is that only the title pages were reprinted at a later date for replacement in a number of copies.
The chronogram of Tractate Shevuot was mistakenly printed: 1826 (instead of 1820). The chronogram of Tractate Makot is 1820, different from the copy in NLI which is incorrectly dated 1810.
Books Printed in Slavita and Zhitomir
Books Printed in Slavita and Zhitomir