Alphei Menashe [philosophy and novellae on the Talmud].

R. Menashe of Ilya (1767-1831) one of the great original thinkers of his period, had an enigmatic personality. He formed a close relationship with the Vilna Gaon who held him in the highest esteem. In this work R. Menasheh cites the Vilna Gaon a number of times. See especially f. 38b: “I heard from the holy mouth of the Gaon… if not for him, Torah would have been long forgotten from Israel… Even with his great sharpness and erudition he [the Gaon] paid attention to even the simplest of matters, seeking to provide explanations of the greatest clarity.”