Arvei Nachal – Sudylkiv, 1825-1826 – First Edition – Copy of Rebbe Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapiro of Drohobych

Arvei Nachal – Sudylkiv, 1825-1826 – First Edition – Copy of Rebbe Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapiro of Drohobych

Arvei Nachal, on the Torah portions, by R. David Shlomo Eybeschutz, rabbi of Soroca. [Sudylkiv: printer not indicated, 1825-1826]. First edition. Two parts in two volumes.
The author, R. David Shlomo Eybeschutz (1755-1813, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, I, pp. 501-503), was a prominent Chassidic leader and posek, and served as rabbi of Soroca. In 1809, he immigrated to Eretz Israel and settled in Safed, where he was ultimately buried. His relative R. Levi Yitzchak of Berdychiv praises him in his approbation to Levushei Serad as "astute and well-versed in Torah as the sages of old, and all his deeds are performed for the sake of Heaven". R. Eybeschutz authored many compositions, including the famous halachic work Levushei Serad. His book Arvei Nachal became a classic Chassidic text, reprinted in over 20 editions.
Copy of Rebbe Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapiro of Drohobych, with many of his stamps on the title pages and other leaves in both volumes: "Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapiro Sadagura"; "Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapiro Drohobych (Galicia)".
Rebbe Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapira (1864-1924, Encyclopedia L'Chassidut, I, pp. 607-610), was born in Sadigura and named after his grandfather the rebbe of Mogelnitza. He was a descendant of the Maggid of Kozhnitz and R. Elimelech of Lizhensk. His mother was the daughter of Rebbe Avraham Yaakov of Sadigura, granddaughter of R. Yisrael of Ruzhin. He served as rebbe in Drohobych. After WWI, he settled in Vienna, where he established the Yishuv Eretz Israel society, and in 1922, he immigrated to Eretz Israel with his family.
Stamps in the first volume: "Dov Tzvi Sad-[?]"; "Yosef Abeles of Belz[?]".

Two volumes. Vol. I: [2], 98; 41 leaves. Vol. II: [1], 43-166 leaves. Lacking final two leaves. 22.5 cm. Vol. I in fair-good condition, vol. II in good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear. Worming, affecting text. Tears, including minor open tears to several leaves, slightly affecting text. Paper repairs to both sides of title page of vol. I, affecting text on verso. Leaves trimmed with damage to headings in several places. Stamps. New bindings.

Two parallel editions of the book are known, with several typographic differences between them. Lieberman asserts that one of them is the first edition, and the second, "an intermediate edition" (see: Ch. Lieberman, Ohel Rachel, I, New York 1980, pp. 372-373; listed as such in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book). According to the differences listed by Lieberman, both of the present volumes are from the first edition.