Part of the binding of the Tanach from which the Gaon of Vilna studied.
Front board; an old piece of paper pasted to it reads: "Tanach which our master, the rabbi of the entire Jewish people, the Chassid, the Gaon of Vilna studied from".
Ownership inscription on the verso of the board, on the pastedown: "R. Yaakov Moshe grandson of the Gaon". This Tanach (or the binding alone) was presumably passed down from the Gaon of Vilna to his grandson R. Yaakov Moshe of Slonim (son of R. Avraham son of the Gaon of Vilna; a tremendous Torah scholar and a prominent descendant of the Gaon of Vilna who was very involved in editing and publishing the writings of the Gaon).
Front board. Approx. 20 cm. Leather-covered wood, with part of ornamented metal clasp. Fair condition. Worming and wear.

The binding was displayed at the exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of the passing of the Gaon of Vilna in Beit Hatfutsot, Tel Aviv, Winter 1998. See exhibition catalogue, The Gaon of Vilna: The Man and His Legacy, p. 84.

Provenance: The Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection, Jerusalem.

The Gaon of Vilna Would Hold the Binding of the Book While Learning
A testimony from one of the leading Lithuanian Torah scholars, who had the merit of observing the Gaon of Vilna while learning, is published in the book Meorei Beit Yitzchak (Jerusalem 1866, pp. 52a-b), by R. Uri Yitzchak Eizik son of R. Abba Kadesh, in the name of his grandfather R. Aharon Rabbi of Wysokie (Vysokaye). R. Aharon, who merited to visit the Gaon of Vilna in his study room, reported how he saw him learning, stressing the fact that rather than resting his book on the table, the Gaon of Vilna, held it in both hands, one hand supporting one side and the other hand supporting the other side, out of honor for the Torah.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.