Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot – Slavita, 1808 – Approbation and Authorization by the Baal HaTanya

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot – Slavita, 1808 – Approbation and Authorization by the Baal HaTanya

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, with the laws of the Rosh, the Rambam's commentary on Mishnayot and his foreword to Order Zera'im, and with Mevo HaTalmud by R. Shmuel HaNaggid. Slavita: [R. Moshe Shapira Rabbi of Slavita, son of R. Pinchas of Korets], 1808. With approbations by the Baal HaTanya and R. Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev.
The approbation by R. Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev had previously been printed in the Slavita 1801 edition of Tractate Berachot and in the Slavita 1801 edition of Tur Orach Chaim.
The first Slavita Talmud edition (1801-1806), printed in the press of R. Moshe Shapira, was initiated by the Baal HaTanya, together with his brother R. Mordechai of Irshava and his son-in-law R. Shalom Shachna (see below). After this, the Baal HaTanya sold the publishing rights to R. Moshe Shapira.
On verso of the title page of this volume, R. Moshe printed the "Approbation and Authorization" of the Baal HaTanya, in which he attests that he is transferring all the publishing rights to R. Moshe and his heirs.
There are several differences between the original approbation by the Baal HaTanya, of which the manuscript is still extant (see Igrot Kodesh of the Baal HaTanya, Brooklyn 2012, p. 354, for a picture of it) and the printed version. The Baal HaTanya refers to R. Moshe Shapira with several titles of honor, which were omitted in this edition.
Another difference: The Baal HaTanya transfers in this approbation all publishing rights, as well as all the restrictions that the rabbis wrote in their approbations, to the printer R. Moshe Shapira and his heirs. He writes that the rabbis had granted exclusive rights to print the Talmud "for twenty-five years from the beginning of the printing" of the 1801-1806 edition. As such, the twenty-five years, which began in 1801, would conclude in 1826. Later in the approbation, the Baal HaTanya relates to these rights (in the original): "Far from any Jew to violate his rights and reprint the Talmud… through any ploy or ruse in the world, until the time period determined by these great Torah scholars in their approbations has expired". However, this last sentence was altered in print, and it reads: "until the end of the twenty-five years from the completion of the printing", meaning that the twenty-five years only began in 1806, and would thus end in 1831 (understandably, this alteration contradicts the earlier sentence, which clearly defines the time period as starting "from the beginning of the printing" of the 1801-1806 edition).
Also added here are the words: "whether in this format or in a different format", which do not appear in the handwritten approbation.
[3], 2-100 leaves. Piskei Tosafot leaf (after title page) included twice. 35.5 cm. Light-bluish paper. Good condition. Stains, dampstains and wear. Worming. Slight difference in size of title page and two following leaves (possibly supplied from a different copy). New leather binding.

----------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------

The Slavita Printing Press, Founded by R. Moshe Shapira Rabbi of Slavita

The Jewish printing press in Slavita (Khmelnytskyi Province, Western Ukraine), operated between 1790 and 1837. The founder of the printing press was the rabbi of the city, R. Moshe Shapira (1762-1840), son of the renowned R. Pinchas of Korets. Already in his youth, he showed exceptional talent in scribal writing, drawing, carving and etching. His holy father encouraged him to develop his talent, in order to acquire these professions. In the early 1790s, R. Moshe was appointed rabbi of Slavita, yet he concurrently established his famous printing press, not wishing to utilize Torah as a livelihood. The typeface used in the printing press was designed and fashioned by R. Moshe. Apart from the printing press, he also established workshops for the production of the paper and type. A large portion of Slavita's Jews earned their livelihood in an honorable way in one of the many divisions of the printing firm. Slavita books were reputed in the Jewish world for their beauty, splendor and accuracy; as well as for the owner of the press, R. Moshe, who was revered by the great Chassidic leaders. R. Moshe of Slavita was close to the Baal HaTanya, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who commended him: "Exceptional in Torah, fear of G-d is his treasure, of holy descent". Sipurim Nora'im by R. Yaakov Keidner (Lviv, 1875) relates the wondrous account of how the Baal HaTanya assisted R. Moshe in attaining a government license for his printing press.

A special advantage of this printing press was that it only produced sacred books, and its type was never desecrated by profane books. Most of the workers were G-d fearing Jews. According to a famous Chassidic tradition, the equipment and type were immersed in a mikveh before use (regarding Regarding the printing press in Slavita, see: Ch.D. Friedberg, History of Printing in Poland, Tel Aviv 1950, p. 104; Ch. Lieberman, Ohel Rachel, I, New York 1980, pp. 199-202; Sh.D.B. Levin, History of Chabad in Czarist Russia, Brooklyn 2010, p. 61).

The Talmud Editions Printed in Slavita

More than three editions of the Babylonian Talmud were produced in the printing press of R. Moshe Shapira, as follows:

1. The volumes of the first edition were printed between 1801 and 1806. This edition was initiated by the Baal HaTanya, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who funded the publishing together with his brother R. Mordechai of Irshava and his son-in-law R. Shalom Shachna. A letter addressed to R. Moshe Shapira, handwritten by the Baal HaTanya, with detailed instructions regarding the printing, proofreading and distribution of this Talmud edition, is still extant today (see: Igrot Kodesh by the Baal HaTanya, Brooklyn 2012, pp. 249-252). R. Refael Natan Notte Rabinowitz, in his book Maamar al Hadpasat HaTalmud, describes the first edition (p. 128): "Large folio format, dubbed 'the large Slavita' by booksellers and buyers, to distinguish it from the enhanced Slavita 1808 and 1817 editions".

2. The volumes of the second edition were printed in 1808-1813. The rights to this edition were purchased by the printer R. Moshe Shapira from the Baal HaTanya, publisher of the first edition, at full price. On verso of the title page of Tractate Berachot of this edition, R. Moshe Shapira printed the letter in which the Baal HaTanya attests that he is transferring all the publishing rights to R. Moshe Shapira and his representatives (see below, picture of item 66, p. 105).

3. The volumes of the third edition were printed in 1817-1822. This edition as well includes the authorization from the Baal HaTanya. This edition contains some great innovations. For the first time in the history of the printing of the Talmud, the Rif (Rav Alfas), the Mordechai and the Tosefta were appended to the appropriate tractate in each volume. The printing of this edition took place under heavy competition with the printer R. Yisrael Yoffe of Kopust, who also printed a Talmud edition in 1816-1828. Yet "it is self-understood that everyone went to buy his edition [of R. Moshe Shapira of Slavita], which is very beautiful and contains many commentaries" (R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz, ibid, p. 131). See below item 68, pp. 110-111.

In 1835-1836, the printing of a fourth edition of the Talmud began in the Slavita press, amidst the infamous and intense polemic with the Vilna printers, who also began printing a Talmud edition at that time. This edition only includes Tractates Berachot (see below item 67, p. 108), Shabbat and Eruvin. R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz writes in his book (ibid, p. 138) regarding this edition: "This print is pleasant and of incomparable beauty".

In late 1836, while the press's workers were busy printing Tractate Pesachim of this edition, a new law was passed by the Russian council of ministers and ratified by Czar Nicholas, regarding Jewish printing presses. According to this law, all Jewish printing presses were to close down, and in their place, a permit would be issued to only two printing presses – in Vilna and in Kiev – to serve the entire Russian Jewry (ultimately, the permit was only granted to the Vilna printing press, while a new press was established in Zhitomir).

(One of the main causes of the closure of all Jewish printing presses in Russia was the infamous libel accusing the Slavita printing press of murdering one of their workers, alongside a report which censors and maskilim handed in to the government, portraying the Jewish printing presses unfavorably. See the printer's forewords and rabbis' approbations printed at the beginning of Tractates Berachot and Eruvin for more information regarding the closure of the printing presses, the polemic and the libel. See also briefly in the book of R. R.N.N. Rabinowitz, ibid, pp. 134-138, and the article of Prof. Dmitrii Eliashevich, Government Censorship of Jewish Publications, in Toldot Yehudei Russia, Jerusalem 2012, II, p. 68).

Words of Great Men in Praise of the Printing Press and the Talmud Editions

Leading Torah scholars in Russia, Poland and Lithuania, Chassidim and Mitnagdim, held R. Moshe Shapira and his firm in greatest esteem, as they write about him:

"If not for him, Torah would have G-d forbid been forgotten" (R. Avraham Abele Posweller in his second letter, printed at the beginning of Tractate Eruvin, Slavita 1836); "They raised the Torah banner in our country through their printing press" (R. Chaim Kohen Rappaport Rabbi of Ostroh, ibid); "The true Tzaddik, who has enlightened the Jewish people… for the past forty years, has caused great benefit to the Jewish people through his excellent printing press, producing all holy books large and small, old and new, using good quality paper and a beautiful typeface" (Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl, ibid); "…the world was barren of Torah, holy books and Talmud volumes were not available in the world at all, apart from those owned by several individuals, prominent wealthy men. Even in the study halls of bigger towns it was difficult to find a complete Shas… and when R. Chaim Volozhin established the yeshiva [the Volozhin yeshiva, founded 1803], many volumes of Talmud were required, and they were compelled to collect volumes of Talmud from various large cities for the yeshiva students. And when the Rabbi of Slavita realized that there is a demand for volumes of Talmud in the world, he printed several hundred sets, large and small, and since they were received favorably, they were distributed throughout the world" (R. Moshe Shmuel Shmukler-Shapiro, in his book Toldot Rabbenu Chaim MiVolozhin, Jerusalem 2003 edition, pp. 26-27).

The Slavita Talmud editions were highly regarded and deemed holy by leading Chassidic masters and their disciples. A Chassidic tradition relates of R. Moshe that "he owned the famous printing press in Slavita, and he would print with silver type; on Erev Shabbat following ritual immersion he would proofread the Talmud he printed, and that is why this Talmud edition is held in such high regard by tzaddikim" (Elef Ketav, by R. Yitzchak Weiss Rabbi of Kadelburg and Verbo, section 292; quoted in Imrei Pinchas HaShalem, II, p. 168).

It is retold regarding the great Torah scholar R. Moshe Midner of Baranovich (grandson and close disciple of the Yesod HaAvodah of Slonim, prominent Slonimer Chassid, held in high esteem by R. Chaim of Brisk), that during one of his Torah discussions with his esteemed colleague R. Elchanan Wasserman, the latter "asked R. Moshe Midner to clarify a difficult teaching of the Maharsha, which he was unable to understand. R. Moshe Midner told him that he studies from the Slavita Talmud which was printed… with exceptional holiness, and according to the text there the Maharsha is understandable, and since the printers were G-d fearing, they benefited from Heavenly assistance not to publish an error" (R. Asher Arkovitz, Ashrei HaIsh, Jerusalem 2011, p. 191, section 56).