Sifra DeTzniuta with the Commentary of the Gaon of Vilna – First Edition – Vilna and Horodna, 1820 – Interesting ...

Sifra DeTzniuta with the Commentary of the Gaon of Vilna – First Edition – Vilna and Horodna, 1820 – Interesting Kabbalistic Glosses (Final Redemption in the Year 5600)

Sifra DeTzniuta, with the commentary of the Gaon of Vilna. Vilna and Horodna, [1820]. First edition of the commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Sifra DeTzniuta.
This book is one of the fundamental books for studying and understanding the approach of the Gaon of Vilna to Kabbalah.
The work was brought to print by R. Yaakov Moshe of Slonim, grandson and disciple of the Gaon of Vilna (son of R. Avraham son of the Gaon of Vilna). There is a lengthy foreword by R. Chaim of Volozhin at the beginning of the book. This is the last foreword written by R. Chaim to one of the books of the Gaon of Vilna (he passed away a year after this book was published, in 1821). The foreword by R. Chaim of Volozhin is followed by a foreword by the publisher, R. Yaakov Moshe of Slonim. Both forewords contain much valuable information about the life of the Gaon of Vilna, and extraordinary praises and descriptions of his prominence in both kabbalistic and revealed realms of the Torah (see Hebrew description).
This copy bears several kabbalistic glosses in (Ashkenazic) Rashi script, including some lengthy ones. In the gloss on p. 20a, the writer discusses the words of the Gaon of Vilna on the time of the Final Redemption and the coming of Mashiach in the year following Shemittah. He writes that "in my humble opinion, this refers to the seventh century of the sixth millennium… and if we are meritorious… it will refer to the year 5600 [1839-1840] which is a Shemittah year" (it appears from these words that the writer wrote these words before the end of 5600. As is well known, as the year 5600 approached, high messianic expectations arose in the Jewish world. Amongst others, there was a great awakening on this topic amongst the disciples of the Gaon of Vilna and those belonging to his school of thought, who foresaw that Mashiach would come in 5600 or the following year. See: Aryeh Morgenstern, Meshichiyut VeYishuv Eretz Israel, Jerusalem 1985).
[6], 59, [3] leaves. 20.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains and wear. Tears and worming to entire book, with significant damage to printed text and glosses. Entire book professionally restored with paper. Stamps. New leather binding.
In the present copy, the foreword by R. Chaim of Volozhin appears before that of the publisher R. Yaakov Moshe of Slonim, just like in the two variants recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book (listing 177999).
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 696.

Sifra DeTzniuta with the Commentary of the Gaon of Vilna – The Segulah Qualities of the First Edition
The following stories are told about the holiness and segulah of this edition:
R. Shemaryahu Greineman told the following story in the name of the Chazon Ish - A dybbuk was once brought before one of the tzaddikim of the previous generation, in the presence of all the townspeople. The tzaddik declared: "Let me show you a wondrous thing!". He presented the dybbuk with two copies of a book (Sifra DeTzniuta or Sefer Yetzirah), one printed in the previous generation and the second printed in his times. The books were both wrapped in paper, and thus outwardly undistinguishable. The dybbuk took one book and embraced it lovingly; however, he recoiled from the other book saying that he is unable to touch it. The tzaddik explained the reason for this: the impure dybbuk was unable to touch the book published in the previous generation since it was printed by G-d-fearing Jews, unlike the second book, which was printed in a printing press which employed Jews who were lured by the Enlightenment Movement (Maaseh Ish, V, p. 122, in the name of R. Shemaryahu Greineman who heard the story from the Chazon Ish).
A similar story was told by R. Shmuel David HaKohen Munk (rabbi of the Orthodox community in Haifa), in the name of a Sephardic Jerusalem kabbalist. A person with a dybbuk was brought before the kabbalist, who placed the second edition of the Vilna Gaon's commentary on Sifra DeTzniuta on the man to no avail. He then used the first edition and the man was cured (Zechor LeDavid, II, p. 159). R. Munk also quotes R. Eliezer Gordon of Telz, who reported that when a volume of the first edition was placed in the hands of a dybbuk, he shook and screamed in terror: "The Vilner! The Vilner!", but did not show the same agitation upon similar exposure to a second edition (ibid).