Sifra D'Tzeniuta with the commentary of the Gra, (Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna). Vilna and Grodno, [1820]. First edition of the Gra's commentary. Includes approbations of Vilna's rabbis, a preface by R. Chaim of Volozhin (in which he describes the greatness of the Gra), and a preface by the publisher R. Yaakov Moshe of Slonim, grandson of the Gra.
This volume is indispensable in understanding the Gra's approach to Kabbalah. This particular edition is known for its holiness since its content is holy and it was printed by G-d-fearing Jews. The Chazon Ish (R. Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz), in praise of this edition, would tell the story of a dybbuk (evil spirit) that was brought before one of the great Torah scholars of the previous generation. The scholar presented the dybbuk with two wrapped editions of this volume. The dybbuk remained unaffected by the second edition of this volume [Vilna, 1892], but was unable to touch the first edition volume. The scholar explained that since the first edition was published by G-d-fearing Jews, its great intrinsic holiness affected the dybbuk to a greater degree than the second edition, printed by Maskilim. A similar story was described by R. Shmuel David Munk, rabbi of Haifa, in the name of a Sephardic kabbalist from Jerusalem, who attempted to exorcise a dybbuk that had entered a human being. The person was brought before the kabbalist, who placed a second edition volume on the man to no avail. When he used a first-edition volume, however, the man was cured [Zechor LeDavid, II, 159]. R. Munk also quotes R. Eliezer Gordon of Telshe, who reported that when the first-edition volume was placed in the hands of a dybbuk, he screamed "The Vilner! The Vilner!", but did not react when he was similarly exposed to a second edition volume [ibid].
[6], 59, [3] leaves. 21 cm. High-quality thick, light paper. Wide margins. Several handwritten corrections. Good overall condition. Stains. Slight worming to the endpapers and the inner margins of several pages. Original binding (half-leather); damaged.
The order of the prefaces in this copy matches the book listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, entry 0177999, in which the preface of R. Chaim of Volozhin precedes that of the publisher.