Rav Alfas – Amsterdam, 1643 – Complete Volume on the Whole Talmud – Hundreds of Glosses in the Handwriting of the ...

Rav Alfas – Amsterdam, 1643 – Complete Volume on the Whole Talmud – Hundreds of Glosses in the Handwriting of the "Chavat Ya'ir" and his Father Rabbi Shimshon Bacharach
Hilchot Rav Alfas, with Rashi commentary. Part 1 – Seder Mo'ed (including Tractate Brachot and Halachot Ketanot), Part 2 – Seder Nashim (with Tractate Hullin) and Part 3 – Seder Nezikin. Amsterdam, [1643]. Printed by Emanuel Benbenishti.
The three parts include all the Hilchot HaRif [Rav Alfas] on the Talmud tractates, bound in one volume. Separate title page for each part.
On the first title page appears the signature of Rabbi "Yair Chayim Bacharach" author of the Chavat Ya'ir responsa, and another inscription [partially erased] in his handwriting and with his signature: "This book of the Rif, I have given – to my mechutan -- , Yair Chayim Bacharach".
This copy belonged to the renowned Torah scholar Rabbi Yair Chayim Bacharach Av Beit Din of Worms and author of the Chavat Ya'ir responsa. He studied from this copy and added hundreds of glosses, corrections and notes in his own handwriting on the sheet margins. This volume was the source for the glosses of the Chavat Ya'ir on the Rif in the editions of the Talmud first printed in Zhitomir in 1858-1864, and reprinted a second time by the printers of the Vilna Talmud. Since that printing, all editions of the Rif include these glosses.
This volume was bequeathed by the Zhitomir printers, the holy Shapira brothers, to their great-grandson Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Shapira of Uman who made it available to the Vilna printers who wished to reprint the glosses in a more precise fashion with the addition of glosses which were omitted from the first printing.
While examining the manuscript, we discovered that between the hundreds of glosses in the handwriting of the Chavat Ya'ir, there are dozens of glosses written in another handwriting, apparently the handwriting of Rabbi Shimshon Bacharach, father of the Chavat Ya'ir and Rabbi of Worms, who apparently bequeathed the book to his son. Astoundingly, both the Zhitomir printers and the Vilna printers did not discern this fact in spite of the clear differences between both handwritings and they printed all the glosses under the name of the Chavat Ya'ir. The importance of this volume among other qualities, is the identification of the author of the glosses, as well as a new understanding of part of the glosses [for example, sometimes Rabbi Shimshon asks a question and his son the Chavat Ya'ir answers. At other times, he comments or complements the words of his father].
Tractates Bava Kama and Bava Metzia include dozens of additional scholarly glosses in a later handwriting, most refer to glosses by the Chavat Yair. We were not able to identify the handwriting, but from the content of the glosses, they were apparently written by an exceptional Torah scholar, who prepared the glosses for print [in Zhitomir or Vilna]. The glosses were marked in parentheses, and to the best of our knowledge were not printed.
Rabbi Yair Chayim Bacharach (1638-1701) Rabbi and Av Beit Din of Worms, one of the foremost Torah leaders of his times and leading Torah authority for all following generations. Disciple of his father Rabbi Shimshon Bacharach and of Rabbi Mendel Bass Av Beit Din of Frankfurt, in 1666, was appointed Av Beit Din of Koblenz and in 1669, returned to Worms and was appointed as successor of Rabbi Aharon Te'omim and as dayan in the city. After the city of Worms was destroyed in 1689, he was exiled with all the city's Jews. After they returned to their community, he served as Av Beit din of the community succeeding his father and grandfather until his death. Known as a tremendous Torah genius and very proficient in all realms of Torah knowledge, with an incredible memory and breadth of knowledge evident in his writings. Was knowledgeable and proficient in worldly wisdom as well. Wrote dozens of works, most remain in manuscript form and some were recently printed, but he was famous for his book of responsa "Chavat Ya'ir" which he named after his mother, Chava. Although he printed only a small part of more than 600 responsa which were prepared for printing in this book, his book was accepted as one of the basic books of responsa an as an important source of Torah decisions and is often mentioned in halachic literature until this day. Among his other works is a commentary named Mekor Chaim on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, which he prepared for printing but before it reached print, the Maginei Eretz books - Turei Zahav and Magen Avraham, all which were similar to his book, were published. He therefore had to re-edit his book (printed from his handwriting in 1982-1984); the book Mar Keshisha – rules of the Talmud, printed in 1993; a huge encyclopedic work of 46 volumes was lost, only the index named Ya'ir Netiv remained. See enclosed material.
His father, Rabbi Moshe Shimshon Bacharach (1607-1670), was born to his father Rabbi Shmuel Darshan Av Beit Din of Worms, from which he was expelled with his family and the rest of the city's Jews in 1615. After his father died on the way, he reached Prague together with his mother and sisters, where he was raised by his grandfather Rabbi Yitzchak HaCohen disciple of the Maharal of Prague. Served as rabbi of several important communities. In 1729, when 22 years old, he was appointed Av Beit Din of Hodonín and a year later was chosen to serve as Rabbi of Lipník nad Bečvou where his only child, Rabbi Ya'ir Chayim, author of Chavat Ya'ir was born. In 1744, he was appointed darshan in his native city of Prague until 1750 when he was chosen to succeed his father as Rabbi and Av Beit Din of Worms. He remained in that capacity for 20 years until his death. One of the most outstanding rabbis of his knowledgeable generation, proficient in all parts of Torah knowledge, revealed and hidden, a posek and commentator, preacher and liturgical poet. A prolific writer, one of his most well-known works is the book Shemen HaMa'or (remained in manuscript). Some of his halachic responsa was printed in the book Chut HaShani edited by his son Rabbi Chaim Ya'ir, who quoted some of his father's words and piyutim in his book Chavat Ya'ir.
211 leaves; 160 leaves; 104 leaves, 21 cm. Most of the leaves are in good condition. Tears and holes to few leaves [damage to text in several places], some pages restored with reinforcement paper and adhesive tape. Stains. Moisture stains to some leaves. Ancient parchment binding, slightly damaged.