Auction 58 - Rare and Important Items
Heshiv R. Eliezer Ve-Si'ach HaSadeh Responsa - Neuwied, 1748 - Signatures and Glosses of R. Avraham Abele Posveller, Rabbi of Vilna
Opening: $1,000
Sold for: $1,250
Including buyer's premium
Heshiv R. Eliezer Ve-Siach HaSadeh responsa, by R. Eliezer son of R. Shlomo Zalman Lifshitz. Neuwied (Germany), [1748]. Only edition. Title page adorned with wood-cut illustrations.
The title page bears two signatures of R. Avraham Abele Posveller Ra'avad of Vilna: "Avraham Abele son of… R. Avraham Shlomo", "Belongs to me Avraham Abele son of R.A.S.".
Scholarly glosses in the handwriting of R. Avraham Posveller appear on leaves 1 and 2. In one gloss, he challenges the words of the author.
R. Avraham Abele Posveller (1762-1836), spiritual Lithuanian giant, foremost Rabbi of the city of Vilna and among the greatest Torah scholars of his times - the generation of the disciples of the Vilna Gaon. Son of R. Avraham Shlomo, Rabbi of Pasvalys, Lithuania (called R. Abele Posveller after his native city). His outstanding greatness was famous from childhood and reputedly, in his youth, he visited the Vilna Gaon who said: "Such a young man is difficult to find today". Four years after the death of the Gra, he was appointed Rabbi of Vilna and was in practice, the Rabbi of the city (after the death of R. Shmuel, the last Av Beit Din of Vilna, a decision was passed that no rabbi would be officially appointed for Vilna. From that time, the rabbis of the city were called Ra'avad). R. Abele was the top Torah authority of Vilna and its region in the days it was the focus of many illustrious Torah scholars such as the author of Chayei Adam, R. Yechezkel Feivel - the Vilna Magid, etc. R. Abele was exceptionally venerated by the sages of his times and was known by the title of Gedol HaDor (leader of the generation). R. Yisrael of Shklow (at the beginning of the approbation which R. Abele gave to his book Pe'at HaShulchan) writes of him: "Great Torah genius… most venerated rabbi of his times…". In a letter, the author of Chiddushei Harim of Ger refers to him as: "My teacher Avraham Abele, the first rabbi to write an approbation for the printing of the Vilna Talmud, famed as the greatest rabbi of his generation ('Gedol HaDor')…". "Gedol HaDor" was used to describe him by many great people (see the article by R. David Zaritsky). R. Avraham Abele founded the famous Ramailis Yeshiva in Vilna and was also one of the founders of the Volozhin Yeshiva together with R. Chaim of Volozhin. R. Abele had a central role in the arbitration of the renowned dispute regarding the printing of the Talmud by the Slavita brothers. He wrote thousands of halachic responsa, as well as compositions on tractates of the Talmud, notations on books and homilies. R. Yehuda Yisrael Kanievsky (the Steipler) wrote (in his approbation to the Be'er Avraham responsa): "It is well-known that this extraordinary Torah scholar wrote most of his teachings in a manuscript composed of thousands of responsa and bountiful wonderful precious novellae". However, due to his many activities, he was not able to prepare them for printing and after his death, he left behind three sacks filled with Torah novellae and responsa. Sadly, eventually most of his writings vanished (the Chafetz Chaim, the Chazon Ish and the Steipler were accustomed to using this loss of the teachings and writings of this leading Lithuanian sage as an example of the need to print novellae. See Michtevei HeChafetz Chaim, p. 9; Avi HaYeshivot p. 511; Tiferet Refael pp. 16-17). Some of his novellae which were in the custody of a rabbi in Ponovezh were burned in the great fire which broke out in the city. His remaining novellae were printed in the book "Be'er Avraham responsa" published by Machon Yerushalayim (Jerusalem, 1980 and 2003). Several other responsa were printed in the book of commemoration Tiferet Refael (Beit Shemesh, 2005).
The author David Zaritsky wrote a comprehensive article about the life of R. Abele Posveller. This was his last work before his death and was printed in the Moriah anthology (year 8, Issues 6-7, Kislev 1978) and was later reprinted as an introduction to the Be'er Avraham responsa.
[4], 32 leaves. 31.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Tears and worming to several leaves. New binding.
One of the few Hebrew books printed in Neuwied (Germany).
The title page bears two signatures of R. Avraham Abele Posveller Ra'avad of Vilna: "Avraham Abele son of… R. Avraham Shlomo", "Belongs to me Avraham Abele son of R.A.S.".
Scholarly glosses in the handwriting of R. Avraham Posveller appear on leaves 1 and 2. In one gloss, he challenges the words of the author.
R. Avraham Abele Posveller (1762-1836), spiritual Lithuanian giant, foremost Rabbi of the city of Vilna and among the greatest Torah scholars of his times - the generation of the disciples of the Vilna Gaon. Son of R. Avraham Shlomo, Rabbi of Pasvalys, Lithuania (called R. Abele Posveller after his native city). His outstanding greatness was famous from childhood and reputedly, in his youth, he visited the Vilna Gaon who said: "Such a young man is difficult to find today". Four years after the death of the Gra, he was appointed Rabbi of Vilna and was in practice, the Rabbi of the city (after the death of R. Shmuel, the last Av Beit Din of Vilna, a decision was passed that no rabbi would be officially appointed for Vilna. From that time, the rabbis of the city were called Ra'avad). R. Abele was the top Torah authority of Vilna and its region in the days it was the focus of many illustrious Torah scholars such as the author of Chayei Adam, R. Yechezkel Feivel - the Vilna Magid, etc. R. Abele was exceptionally venerated by the sages of his times and was known by the title of Gedol HaDor (leader of the generation). R. Yisrael of Shklow (at the beginning of the approbation which R. Abele gave to his book Pe'at HaShulchan) writes of him: "Great Torah genius… most venerated rabbi of his times…". In a letter, the author of Chiddushei Harim of Ger refers to him as: "My teacher Avraham Abele, the first rabbi to write an approbation for the printing of the Vilna Talmud, famed as the greatest rabbi of his generation ('Gedol HaDor')…". "Gedol HaDor" was used to describe him by many great people (see the article by R. David Zaritsky). R. Avraham Abele founded the famous Ramailis Yeshiva in Vilna and was also one of the founders of the Volozhin Yeshiva together with R. Chaim of Volozhin. R. Abele had a central role in the arbitration of the renowned dispute regarding the printing of the Talmud by the Slavita brothers. He wrote thousands of halachic responsa, as well as compositions on tractates of the Talmud, notations on books and homilies. R. Yehuda Yisrael Kanievsky (the Steipler) wrote (in his approbation to the Be'er Avraham responsa): "It is well-known that this extraordinary Torah scholar wrote most of his teachings in a manuscript composed of thousands of responsa and bountiful wonderful precious novellae". However, due to his many activities, he was not able to prepare them for printing and after his death, he left behind three sacks filled with Torah novellae and responsa. Sadly, eventually most of his writings vanished (the Chafetz Chaim, the Chazon Ish and the Steipler were accustomed to using this loss of the teachings and writings of this leading Lithuanian sage as an example of the need to print novellae. See Michtevei HeChafetz Chaim, p. 9; Avi HaYeshivot p. 511; Tiferet Refael pp. 16-17). Some of his novellae which were in the custody of a rabbi in Ponovezh were burned in the great fire which broke out in the city. His remaining novellae were printed in the book "Be'er Avraham responsa" published by Machon Yerushalayim (Jerusalem, 1980 and 2003). Several other responsa were printed in the book of commemoration Tiferet Refael (Beit Shemesh, 2005).
The author David Zaritsky wrote a comprehensive article about the life of R. Abele Posveller. This was his last work before his death and was printed in the Moriah anthology (year 8, Issues 6-7, Kislev 1978) and was later reprinted as an introduction to the Be'er Avraham responsa.
[4], 32 leaves. 31.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Tears and worming to several leaves. New binding.
One of the few Hebrew books printed in Neuwied (Germany).