Babylonian Talmud – Tractate Berachot, and Mishnayot Order Zera'im, with Laws of the Rosh (and its commentaries Maadanei Yom Tov and Divrei Chamudot), the Maharsha, the Maharam and the Chochmat Shlomo glosses by the Maharshal, and the Rambam's commentary on Mishnayot. Slavita: [R. Moshe Shapira Rabbi of Slavita and his son] Rebbe Shmuel Avraham Shapira, 1835.
Approbations by leading Chassidic masters: R. Mordechai of Chernobyl, R. Yisrael of Ruzhin, R. Yaakov Aryeh Leib Shapiro of Kovel (son of R. Mordechai of Neshchiz), R. Yitzchak Meir of Zinkov (son of the Ohev Yisrael of Apta) and R. Baruch Mordechai Ettinger Rabbi of Babruysk (prominent disciple of the Baal HaTanya).
This Talmud volume was printed at the height of the infamous polemic between the printers of Slavita and those of Vilna, and it is one of the last volumes printed in the Slavita printing press before its tragic closure. This volume is part of the fourth edition of the Slavita Talmud, of which only the printing of Tractates Berachot, Shabbat and Eruvin were completed (in the middle of the printing of Tractate Pesachim, the press was shut down by the Russian authorities, due to the infamous libel). R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz, in his book Maamar al Hadpasat HaTalmud, writes regarding the few tractates which they printed of this edition (p. 138): "This print is pleasant and of incomparable beauty".
The volume opens with an article by the printer, Rebbe Avraham Shmuel Shapira of Slavita, in which he describes the onset of the polemic with the Vilna printers from his viewpoint. Additionally, the volume includes 39 letters and approbations from leading rabbis of the generation who supported the Slavita printers, including R. Avraham Abele Poswoler of Vilna, the Yeshuot Yaakov of Lviv and his son R. Mordechai Ze'ev Orenstein.
These letters and approbations contain much exclusive and valuable information on the development of the famous polemic, in which some two hundred rabbis of that generation were involved.
During the course of the polemic, the Vilna printers propagated a rumor which alleged that the rabbis backing them had issued a prohibition and an excommunication of whoever would buy the Slavita Talmud. In light of this, the Slavita printers asked the rabbis supporting them to cancel this prohibition (if it was ever enacted). The rabbis and rebbes responded with new, additional letters printed at the beginning of Tractate Eruvin (see Kedem Auction 66, item 25), in which they contend that not only was there no prohibition, on the contrary, they extend an abundance of blessing, in material and spiritual matters, to whomever would buy volumes of this edition of the Slavita Talmud:
"The buyers… will be blessed with all good, and will merit to see sons and grandsons alive and well, engaging in our holy Torah… life, peace and all good for the worship of G-d in comfort" (the Saraf of Mogelnitza). "Whoever steps forward to purchase this Talmud from the Slavita printers will be blessed with an abundance of blessing… sons, life, sustenance and all good" (author of Aryeh Debei Ila'i). "Whoever fills their hand for G-d by acquiring the Slavita Talmud… will be blessed with the blessing of good, will receive blessing from G-d from Heaven… and will become wealthy through the blessing of G-d, and they will merit to study, and to see their sons and grandsons studying G-d's Torah in comfort" (Rebbe Shraga Feivel of Gritza). "Whoever is wise-hearted will grab good deeds, to awaken his ear in study, to purchase the Slavita Talmud… those who study in this Talmud edition… and those who buy it, will merit to have the light of Torah illuminating their eyes (R. Aryeh Leib Horowitz Rabbi of Stanislav).
[5], 124; 13, [1], 68 leaves. Two title pages at beginning of volume. Divisional title page for Mishnayot Zera'im. Title pages printed in red and black. 40 cm. Wide margins. Good condition. Stains. Minor wear, damage and tears to a few leaves. Paper repairs to inner margins of first title page, partially affecting border. New binding.

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The Slavita Printing Press, Founded by R. Moshe Shapira Rabbi of Slavita

The Jewish printing press in Slavita (Khmelnytskyi Province, Western Ukraine), operated between 1790 and 1837. The founder of the printing press was the rabbi of the city, R. Moshe Shapira (1762-1840), son of the renowned R. Pinchas of Korets. Already in his youth, he showed exceptional talent in scribal writing, drawing, carving and etching. His holy father encouraged him to develop his talent, in order to acquire these professions. In the early 1790s, R. Moshe was appointed rabbi of Slavita, yet he concurrently established his famous printing press, not wishing to utilize Torah as a livelihood. The typeface used in the printing press was designed and fashioned by R. Moshe. Apart from the printing press, he also established workshops for the production of the paper and type. A large portion of Slavita's Jews earned their livelihood in an honorable way in one of the many divisions of the printing firm. Slavita books were reputed in the Jewish world for their beauty, splendor and accuracy; as well as for the owner of the press, R. Moshe, who was revered by the great Chassidic leaders. R. Moshe of Slavita was close to the Baal HaTanya, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who commended him: "Exceptional in Torah, fear of G-d is his treasure, of holy descent". Sipurim Nora'im by R. Yaakov Keidner (Lviv, 1875) relates the wondrous account of how the Baal HaTanya assisted R. Moshe in attaining a government license for his printing press.

A special advantage of this printing press was that it only produced sacred books, and its type was never desecrated by profane books. Most of the workers were G-d fearing Jews. According to a famous Chassidic tradition, the equipment and type were immersed in a mikveh before use (regarding Regarding the printing press in Slavita, see: Ch.D. Friedberg, History of Printing in Poland, Tel Aviv 1950, p. 104; Ch. Lieberman, Ohel Rachel, I, New York 1980, pp. 199-202; Sh.D.B. Levin, History of Chabad in Czarist Russia, Brooklyn 2010, p. 61).

The Talmud Editions Printed in Slavita

More than three editions of the Babylonian Talmud were produced in the printing press of R. Moshe Shapira, as follows:

1. The volumes of the first edition were printed between 1801 and 1806. This edition was initiated by the Baal HaTanya, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who funded the publishing together with his brother R. Mordechai of Irshava and his son-in-law R. Shalom Shachna. A letter addressed to R. Moshe Shapira, handwritten by the Baal HaTanya, with detailed instructions regarding the printing, proofreading and distribution of this Talmud edition, is still extant today (see: Igrot Kodesh by the Baal HaTanya, Brooklyn 2012, pp. 249-252). R. Refael Natan Notte Rabinowitz, in his book Maamar al Hadpasat HaTalmud, describes the first edition (p. 128): "Large folio format, dubbed 'the large Slavita' by booksellers and buyers, to distinguish it from the enhanced Slavita 1808 and 1817 editions".

2. The volumes of the second edition were printed in 1808-1813. The rights to this edition were purchased by the printer R. Moshe Shapira from the Baal HaTanya, publisher of the first edition, at full price. On verso of the title page of Tractate Berachot of this edition, R. Moshe Shapira printed the letter in which the Baal HaTanya attests that he is transferring all the publishing rights to R. Moshe Shapira and his representatives (see below, picture of item 66, p. 105).

3. The volumes of the third edition were printed in 1817-1822. This edition as well includes the authorization from the Baal HaTanya. This edition contains some great innovations. For the first time in the history of the printing of the Talmud, the Rif (Rav Alfas), the Mordechai and the Tosefta were appended to the appropriate tractate in each volume. The printing of this edition took place under heavy competition with the printer R. Yisrael Yoffe of Kopust, who also printed a Talmud edition in 1816-1828. Yet "it is self-understood that everyone went to buy his edition [of R. Moshe Shapira of Slavita], which is very beautiful and contains many commentaries" (R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz, ibid, p. 131). See below item 68, pp. 110-111.

In 1835-1836, the printing of a fourth edition of the Talmud began in the Slavita press, amidst the infamous and intense polemic with the Vilna printers, who also began printing a Talmud edition at that time. This edition only includes Tractates Berachot (see below item 67, p. 108), Shabbat and Eruvin. R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz writes in his book (ibid, p. 138) regarding this edition: "This print is pleasant and of incomparable beauty".

In late 1836, while the press's workers were busy printing Tractate Pesachim of this edition, a new law was passed by the Russian council of ministers and ratified by Czar Nicholas, regarding Jewish printing presses. According to this law, all Jewish printing presses were to close down, and in their place, a permit would be issued to only two printing presses – in Vilna and in Kiev – to serve the entire Russian Jewry (ultimately, the permit was only granted to the Vilna printing press, while a new press was established in Zhitomir).

(One of the main causes of the closure of all Jewish printing presses in Russia was the infamous libel accusing the Slavita printing press of murdering one of their workers, alongside a report which censors and maskilim handed in to the government, portraying the Jewish printing presses unfavorably. See the printer's forewords and rabbis' approbations printed at the beginning of Tractates Berachot and Eruvin for more information regarding the closure of the printing presses, the polemic and the libel. See also briefly in the book of R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz, ibid, pp. 134-138, and the article of Prof. Dmitrii Eliashevich, Government Censorship of Jewish Publications, in Toldot Yehudei Russia, Jerusalem 2012, II, p. 68).

Words of Great Men in Praise of the Printing Press and the Talmud Editions

Leading Torah scholars in Russia, Poland and Lithuania, Chassidim and Mitnagdim, held R. Moshe Shapira and his firm in greatest esteem, as they write about him:

"If not for him, Torah would have G-d forbid been forgotten" (R. Avraham Abele Posweller in his second letter, printed at the beginning of Tractate Eruvin, Slavita 1836); "They raised the Torah banner in our country through their printing press" (R. Chaim Kohen Rappaport Rabbi of Ostroh, ibid); "The true Tzaddik, who has enlightened the Jewish people… for the past forty years, has caused great benefit to the Jewish people through his excellent printing press, producing all holy books large and small, old and new, using good quality paper and a beautiful typeface" (Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl, ibid); "…the world was barren of Torah, holy books and Talmud volumes were not available in the world at all, apart from those owned by several individuals, prominent wealthy men. Even in the study halls of bigger towns it was difficult to find a complete Shas… and when R. Chaim Volozhin established the yeshiva [the Volozhin yeshiva, founded 1803], many volumes of Talmud were required, and they were compelled to collect volumes of Talmud from various large cities for the yeshiva students. And when the Rabbi of Slavita realized that there is a demand for volumes of Talmud in the world, he printed several hundred sets, large and small, and since they were received favorably, they were distributed throughout the world" (R. Moshe Shmuel Shmukler-Shapiro, in his book Toldot Rabbenu Chaim MiVolozhin, Jerusalem 2003 edition, pp. 26-27).

The Slavita Talmud editions were highly regarded and deemed holy by leading Chassidic masters and their disciples. A Chassidic tradition relates of R. Moshe that "he owned the famous printing press in Slavita, and he would print with silver type; on Erev Shabbat following ritual immersion he would proofread the Talmud he printed, and that is why this Talmud edition is held in such high regard by tzaddikim" (Elef Ketav, by R. Yitzchak Weiss Rabbi of Kadelburg and Verbo, section 292; quoted in Imrei Pinchas HaShalem, II, p. 168).

It is retold regarding the great Torah scholar R. Moshe Midner of Baranovich (grandson and close disciple of the Yesod HaAvodah of Slonim, prominent Slonimer Chassid, held in high esteem by R. Chaim of Brisk), that during one of his Torah discussions with his esteemed colleague R. Elchanan Wasserman, the latter "asked R. Moshe Midner to clarify a difficult teaching of the Maharsha, which he was unable to understand. R. Moshe Midner told him that he studies from the Slavita Talmud which was printed… with exceptional holiness, and according to the text there the Maharsha is understandable, and since the printers were G-d fearing, they benefited from Heavenly assistance not to publish an error" (R. Asher Arkovitz, Ashrei HaIsh, Jerusalem 2011, p. 191, section 56).