MASECHTA EIRUVIN

This volume of Eiruvin was the final volume of this Slavita edition. It has great historical importance as the publication of this edition of the Talmud resulted in one of the greatest, dramatic, cause celbre’s of the 19th century. This violent controversy eventually caused the Russian government to shut down the Jewish publication houses in the country. The competitive printing firm of Romm in Vilna also started to pubish their own edition of the Talmud at the same time as Shapiro in Slavita. They maintained that Shapiro already sold out all their complete sets and thus the previous statute of limitations of the Rabbis did not apply. The matter was brought before a tribunal of the most prominent Rabbis of the time with different, changing opinions published by both sides. This volume contains lengthy approbations of the Chassidic and non- Chassidic Rabbis of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Poland and Russia (some of which are actually important responsa on the legal ramifications of approved competition in this area; and contain historical information overlooked by most of the scholars writing on this subject). Each side accused the other of forging the list of names of Rabbis on their side. Although R. Akiva Eger was on the side of the Vilna Printers, Slavita continued with the publication of this volume (his opinion is cited in the approbations herein). While in the mdst of preparations for the publication of the next volume, one of the gentile workers of the Slavita firm was found dead, hanging from the rafters at his place of work. The Shapiro brothers were accused of the dastardly deed and were “tried “ by the government (being forced to run the gauntlet) and eventually sent to Siberia. The Shapiro prints are revered with a sense of holiness by Chassidim - especially those with the imprint of Shmuel Abraham who is regarded as a martyr because legend has it that he turned back to pick up his Yarmulka, thus receiving a fierce, double beating from the bayonets of the Russian soldiers. Publication ceased with this volume.