Ein Yaakov, 1883. Copy owned by Rabbi Avraham Paris and Rabbi Menachem Shmuel Slonim

Ein Yaakov, 1883. Copy owned by Rabbi Avraham Paris and Rabbi Menachem Shmuel Slonim
3 volumes of the work Ein Yaakov on Agadot from Shas, printed by the Ram Widow and Brothers, Vilna 1883. Two title pages, the first in purple with red letters, antique worn bindings, leather spines, one is partially detached. One volume doesn’t have title pages, pages detached and fragile, overall fair condition. The title pages and blank first pages have important signatures of ownership, one in nice Rashi script: “These three I bought…on the 15th of Cheshvan 1900, in Hevron, Nachum Menachem Shmuel Slonim.” Also “Avraham Paris”.

Rabbi Avraham Paris (1889-1968) was a pioneer in spreading Chassidut in the US, as leader of the Center for Educational Matters and Comptroller of Chabad Institutes in Israel. He was very close to the Rebbe and worked to spread Chassidut via sichot of the Rayatz. Over the years he worked with the Rebbe in the same room, and had an especially close relationship with him.

Rabbi Menachem Shmuel Slonim (born 1883) was the son of Rabbi Schneur Shlomo Zalman, a descendent of the Admor HaZaken. He was born in Hevron, studied under Rabbi Mendel Na’eh and at the Beit Midrash of Haim Hezkiyahu Medini, the Sdei Chemed. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Yisrael Morgenstern of Jerusalem and he studied a few years in the Ohel Moshe yeshiva, where he heard shiurim from Rabbi Yaakov Orenstein. He then returned to Hevron and founded the Bikur Holimhevra and Linat HaTzedek. When the Anglo-Palestine Bank opened a branch in Hevron in 1907 he was appointed manager of it and helped to strengthen the Jewish community in Hevron and the environs. He would give special credit to Jewish works who came to the city to work, mainly in new professions that there weren’t Jews already involved in.