Auction 76 - The Gaon of Vilna and his Disciples: Books and Manuscripts from the Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection
Commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Megillat Esther – Two Leaves Handwritten by Rabbi Shachna Yellin of Skidel
Opening: $600
Unsold
Two manuscript leaves, part of the commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Megillat Esther (the Peshat commentary), transcribed by the famous proofreader, R. Shachna Yellin of Skidel and Jerusalem, father of the author of Yefeh Einayim. [Lithuania or Jerusalem, 19th century].
The commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Megillat Esther – following the kabbalistic and Peshat approaches, was first printed in Berlin 1856 (see item 21). Several versions of the commentary were later printed, based on different manuscripts. One of them was the Jerusalem 1872 edition, a Peshat-oriented commentary, published by R. Tzvi Hirsh Perlman of Kalushin. The Jerusalem edition became the prototype for all subsequent editions. R. Tzvi Hirsh published his edition based on three manuscripts. He writes in his foreword: " I had the merit of obtaining three accurate manuscripts… and the third from… the expert sofer R. Shachna of Skidel". One can presume that the present manuscript, produced by R. Shachna Yellin of Skidel, is the third manuscript mentioned in the foreword of R. Tzvi Hirsh.
The Perush HaGra HaShalem edition (R. Chanan David Nobel, Jerusalem 1992) is also based in part on the present manuscript (referred to there as "Manuscript D"). The introduction there attests that the text of this manuscript is very similar to that of the Jerusalem edition, yet it contains textual variations not found in any other source (see there for more information).
R. Shalom Shachna Yellin (1790-1874), "the proofreader" from Skidel (Skidzyel', Grodno region; father of R. Aryeh Leib Yellin, author of Yefeh Einayim on the Talmud). He was a disciple of R. Chaim of Volozhin. An international expert on the accurate text of the Bible, he was extremely well versed in matters of Masorah, as is evident from his writings and from the emissary letters he received from the Maharil Diskin and others. He immigrated to Eretz Israel in ca. 1858 with part of his family. A short while later, he was sent by the rabbis of Jerusalem (R. Yosef Zundel of Salant and his son-in-law R. Shmuel Salant, R. Chaim Nissim Abulafia and others) to Aleppo to verify some queries they had on the text of the Bible, based on the accurate Codex of Ben Asher (regarding R. Shachna and this mission, see: Tzefunot VIII and X; Amudei Shesh Jerusalem 1891, part II in the foreword; Yitzchak Yaakov Yellin, Avotenu, Jerusalem 1966, pp. 359-362).
[2] leaves (4 pages in tiny, close handwriting). 21 cm. Good condition. Stains (dampstains, affecting text). Marginal wear and tears. New binding.
Provenance: The Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection, Jerusalem.
The commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Megillat Esther – following the kabbalistic and Peshat approaches, was first printed in Berlin 1856 (see item 21). Several versions of the commentary were later printed, based on different manuscripts. One of them was the Jerusalem 1872 edition, a Peshat-oriented commentary, published by R. Tzvi Hirsh Perlman of Kalushin. The Jerusalem edition became the prototype for all subsequent editions. R. Tzvi Hirsh published his edition based on three manuscripts. He writes in his foreword: " I had the merit of obtaining three accurate manuscripts… and the third from… the expert sofer R. Shachna of Skidel". One can presume that the present manuscript, produced by R. Shachna Yellin of Skidel, is the third manuscript mentioned in the foreword of R. Tzvi Hirsh.
The Perush HaGra HaShalem edition (R. Chanan David Nobel, Jerusalem 1992) is also based in part on the present manuscript (referred to there as "Manuscript D"). The introduction there attests that the text of this manuscript is very similar to that of the Jerusalem edition, yet it contains textual variations not found in any other source (see there for more information).
R. Shalom Shachna Yellin (1790-1874), "the proofreader" from Skidel (Skidzyel', Grodno region; father of R. Aryeh Leib Yellin, author of Yefeh Einayim on the Talmud). He was a disciple of R. Chaim of Volozhin. An international expert on the accurate text of the Bible, he was extremely well versed in matters of Masorah, as is evident from his writings and from the emissary letters he received from the Maharil Diskin and others. He immigrated to Eretz Israel in ca. 1858 with part of his family. A short while later, he was sent by the rabbis of Jerusalem (R. Yosef Zundel of Salant and his son-in-law R. Shmuel Salant, R. Chaim Nissim Abulafia and others) to Aleppo to verify some queries they had on the text of the Bible, based on the accurate Codex of Ben Asher (regarding R. Shachna and this mission, see: Tzefunot VIII and X; Amudei Shesh Jerusalem 1891, part II in the foreword; Yitzchak Yaakov Yellin, Avotenu, Jerusalem 1966, pp. 359-362).
[2] leaves (4 pages in tiny, close handwriting). 21 cm. Good condition. Stains (dampstains, affecting text). Marginal wear and tears. New binding.
Provenance: The Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection, Jerusalem.
Manuscripts
Manuscripts