Responsa of R. Yitzchak HaLevi, brother and teacher of the Taz. Part I. Neuwied (Germany): Johann Balthasar Haupt, 1736.
Ownership inscription handwritten and signed by the Malbim at the top of the title page: " I acquired this book… Meir Leibush Malbim author of Artzot HaChaim VehaShalom, rabbi of Wreschen". A different signature on leaf [2]: "Nathan of Lissa". On the final leaf, stamp of R. Chaim Berlin, who later owned a large part of the Malbim's library.
R. Meir Leibush Malbim (=Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel; 1809-1879), a Biblical commentator and leading rabbi of his generation, well versed in both revealed and hidden realms of the Torah (his teacher for Kabbalah was R. Tzvi Hirsh of Zidichov). In his youth, he authored the book Artzot HaChaim on Shulchan Aruch, which earned the effusive approbation of the Chatam Sofer and gained him renown as an exceptional Torah scholar.
Wherever he served as rabbi or visited (he served as rabbi of Wreschen, Kempen, Bucharest, Kherson, Łęczyca, Mogilev and Königsberg), he was renowned for the uncompromising battle he waged against modernism, Haskalah and Reform, which elicited much harassment. During his tenure in Bucharest, he fought the Maskilim, who retaliated by contriving a blood libel. This resulted in him being imprisoned and sentenced to death, and only thanks to the intervention of Sir Moses Montefiore was his punishment reduced to expulsion from Romania.
The spread of Haskalah drove him to devote his time and skills to composing a systematic commentary to the Bible, with the goal of clarifying the depth of wisdom which lies in the words of the sages, and proving the veracity of Oral law. Thus came to be his famous commentary to the Bible, which was well-received throughout the Jewish world and reprinted in hundreds of editions.
The signature in this book is from the time the Malbim served as rabbi of Wreschen (Września, Poznań County), between 1837-1841, and mentions the first books he printed: Artzot HaChaim on the Shulchan Aruch (printed in Breslau, 1837), and Artzot HaShalom, homilies (printed in Krotoszyn, 1839).
[2], 24, 27-33 leaves (originally: [1], 33 leaves; lacking leaves 25-26). Approx. 31 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear, open tears and extensive worming, affecting text. Marginal paper repairs to most leaves. New cloth binding.
This copy includes an additional leaf (leaf [2] – approbations), which is not found in all copies. It is printed on one side only (the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book lists a copy in which this leaf was pasted on the verso of the title page, over the proofreader's foreword).