Eliyahu Rabba – Brünn, 1802 – First Edition / Kerem Shlomo – Zhovkva, 1869

Eliyahu Rabba – Brünn, 1802 – First Edition / Kerem Shlomo – Zhovkva, 1869
Eliyahu Rabba, Part I, commentary on Mishnayot Order Taharot, by the Gaon of Vilna. Brünn, 1802. First edition.
The book was printed by R. Meir of Shad, who had the merit of studying Torah from the Gaon of Vilna. In his foreword to the book, he relates how he sat by the Gaon of Vilna and recorded his commentary as he heard it from him.
At the beginning of the book, after the approbations, there are letters of recommendation for the author by the Gaon of Vilna and his brother R. Yissachar Ber.
The sons of the Gaon of Vilna contested the authenticity of this commentary at the beginning of the commentary on the Book of Yonah (Vilna 1800). They allege there that the book was copied from the commentary on Order Taharot written by R. Menachem Mendel of Shklow, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna. They claim that R. Meir of Shad borrowed the manuscript from R. Menachem Mendel of Shklow and had it hurriedly transcribed, resulting in it being error-ridden. They contend that the accurate commentary is in their possession. Conversely, R. N.N. Rabinowitz writes in his foreword to Geon Yaakov (Lviv, 1861) that this book was written by R. Yaakov Kahana (disciple of the Gaon of Vilna and son-in-law of the brother of the Gaon of Vilna, R. Yissachar Ber – see item 68), based on brief notes which R. Meir of Shad wrote while he studied by the Gaon of Vilna.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 241.
• Bound with: Kerem Shlomo and Gidulei Tzvi, various novellae and responsa, by R. Tzvi Hirsh HaLevy Horowitz of Zalozitz, grandson of the Machaneh Levi. [Zhovkva? 1869].
Eliyahu Rabba: [2], 44 leaves. Kerem Shlomo: [35] pages. 22.5 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Marginal worming to some leaves. Old binding.
Provenance: The Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection, Jerusalem.