(SELTZ).

AUCTION 64 | Thursday, March 19th, 2015 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Ceremonial Objects, Maps and Graphic Art

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Lot 238

(SELTZ).

Pinkas of the Rabbis from the town of Seltz containing novellae on various Talmudic tractates, comments on various parts of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, an encyclopedic work on various halachic topics pertaining to Choshen Mishpat, sermons (including Shabbath Hagadol and Shabbath Teshuvah) and Beth Din documents concerning business transactions and partnerships signed by various Dayanim and litigants. ff. 41, 4. Many leaves stained, frayed and worn, few leaves loose, four shorter leaves in different hands (comments on Pirkei Avoth and other matters) inserted at end. Contemporary boards, chipped, heavily worn. Folio.

Seltz: (1805-46)

Est: $3,000 - $5,000
PRICE REALIZED $3,000
The birthplace of the Vilna Gaon, Seltz is a small town located near the more famous city of Brisk (today, Belarus). This manuscript contains novellae and commentaries from the Rabbi of Seltz, R. Chaim ben Menachem Monish, along with novellae and Beth Din documents from his father. Some of the commentaries by R. Menachem Monish are entitled “Zion Menachem” in a later hand. According to a later note (bottom of f. 9a), R. Menachem Monish was a disciple of the author of Pri Megadim, as well as a colleague of R. Yehuda Leib Edel, the Maggid of Slonim, who eulogized the Vilna Gaon in his homiletic work Afikei Yehudah. The writer states he received this manuscript from the author’s granddaughter. Among the documents is an unusual statement (f. 10b) before a Beth Din of an individual swearing to live a more spiritual and disciplined life and resist the urge to indulge in matters of food and drink, not to associate with unsavory people nor jump into business deals without first reviewing matters with his wife’s relatives. Also, see f. 29a, concerning financial settlement to a newly married man whose wife hid from him the fact she was not a virgin. A eulogy on f. 20a on the Rabbi of Shershov is dated 1808. The final leaf contains an unpublished responsa by R. Abraham Abele Paslaver, the Chief Dayan of Vilna.