Tzofnat Paneach. Three Volumes. Including Special Variant

Tzofnat Paneach. Three Volumes. Including Special Variant

Tzofnat Paneach, the tremendous book series by the spiritual giant, Rabbi Yosef Rozen, "the Rogochover, " - one of the greatest geonim that ever arose among the Jewish people, so much so that it was said that he had two brains - that he was capable of simultaneously writing two different letters with his two hands! Before us are three volumes from this wondrous series of books, including "the part that disappeared' (see below).

* [Part III]: on Sefer Hafla'ah ... the laws of shevuot, nedarim, nezirut, erchin. Pietrkov, Shlomo Blechatowsky Press, 1903. First edition. 116 pp. Owner's stamp: Rabbi Ben Tziyon Don Yichye, of Erinhaus. Author of Likkutei Megadim.

* Part 4-5: On four parts of the Ramba"m ... Pietrkov, Shlomo Blechatovsky Press, 1904. First edition. 136; 9; 13 pp. Novellae on Sefer Zera'im, Hilchot Kilaim and Matanot Aniyim, with omissions and 'Kuntress Acharon' by the author's son-in-law. 

* [Part 5?] Elucidation of various Talmudic halachahs ... printed by R' Avraham Englisher and R' David Feinald Publications, Warsaw, [1933-1935]. Special edition of Part V. 34 leaves. Tear without lack in the margins of the title page. Owner's stamps: Shilo Rephael.

The mystery of the fifth volume of Tzofnat Paneach: Was there a fifth volume of this magnificent series of books? Apparently there were only four volumes, but in the Rogochover's responsa, we see that he refers many times to a fifth volume, and as such, what was the fate of this volume? The answer to this is found in one of the Rogochover's halachic responsa (a responsum to R' David Potash, written on the eve of Yom Kippur, 1929). In that responsum, the Rogochover expresses his dismay about many writings of Torah novellae that were stolen by a literary thief (in order to print them under his own name). The Rogochover adds 'and the serpent was naked.' Indeed, it is probable that the Rogochover had already prepared the fifth volume of the Tzofnat Paneach book series for print, but because many of his novellae were stolen, and what was left comprised only 34 leaves, not enough for a complete book, he joined the remaining novellae to his fifth book, without a title page, rather as 'supplements' to the fourth volume. This is the reason that the Rogochover occasionally refers to these novellae as 'the fifth volume.'

Before us is a special variant of the fifth volume, printed in the Rogochover's lifetime, as a section in its own right, including a dedicated title page! We will point out that according to the title page of the fifth part that appears before us, we can see that the Rogochover switched the printing house with which he worked for the first four volumes, possibly as a result of the theft. (Regarding the printing of this edition and the variant before us, refer to the attached article by A. Sisa: 'Sefer Tzofnat Paneach al HaRamba"m Chelek HaChamishi, ' Noam, year 20, pp. 330-348 and additional material).

Approximately 33 cm. Overall fine condition: Brittle paper. New bindings.