Lessons from the Leading Hungarian Geonim: The Author of Chatan Sofer and the Author of Levush Mordechai. Rare.

Lessons from the Leading Hungarian Geonim: The Author of Chatan Sofer and the Author of Levush Mordechai. Rare.

Extremely important and lengthy manuscript (approximately 350 pp) consisting of lessons in Talmudic topics that were delivered over the  years by leading geonim of Hungary, the gaon Rabbi Shmuel Ehrenfeld, Av Beit Din of Siksa and Mattersdorf, author of Chatan Sofer, and the gaon Rabbi Mordechai Yuda Winkler, Av Beit Din of Mád, author of Levush Mordechai (and father-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky). Written by their prominent disciples. Hungary, 1872-1877.

1] Lessons on Talmudic topics from the great gaon Rabbi Shmuel Ehrenfeld, Av Beit Din of Siksa and Mattersdorf, author of Chatan Sofer, written by his disciples. In several places, the disciple wrote that the novellae are his teachers', the Av Beit Din of Siksa's (37b, 47a) and the date 1872 is noted (ibid.) - the rabbi of Siksa that year was the gaon, the author of Chatan Sofer. Owner's signature on these leaves: 'I, the writer, the youth Avraham son of Rabbi Eliyahu Courland of Grosswardein' [Rabbi Eliyahu was a known philanthropist from Grosswardein, son of Rabbi Avraham Courland, Av Beit Din of Szendehely] On page 139b, there is a signature of another student: "All this, I wrote with Hashem's help, the youth Yisrael son of R. M. z"l Strahely." The novellae from the author of Chatan Sofer fill the first 160 leaves of the manuscript (320 pp).

2] "Torah novellae by my brother-in-law, the luminary ... Rabbi Mordechai Yuda Winkler, Av Beit Din of Tellegad, who is the gaon, the Av Beit Din of Mád, author of Levush Mordechai. The writer is his brother-in-law, Rabbi Moshe son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kraus (refer to leaf 165 and his signature at the end of the manuscript). The author of Levush Mordechai relates about this brother-in-law that already at the age of 10 he was fluent in Tana"ch (Shu"t Levush Mordechai Ohr HaChaim, Talita'i siman 58). The novellae from the author of Levushei Mordechai are written on leaves 160-172.

The gaon Rabbi Shmuel Ehrenfeld [1835-1883] was the author of Chatan Sofer. He was a grandson of the Chatam Sofer, and a disciple of his uncle, the Ktav Sofer. He was one of the leading Torah teachers of his generation. Beginning in 1868, he served as the Av Beit Din of Siksa and from 1877, as Av Beit Din of Mattersdorf.

The gaon Rabbi Mordechai Yehudah Leib Winkler [1845-1932] was also one of the most prominent of the Ktav Sofer's disciples and he was granted rabbinic ordination by him. He served as Av Beit Din and rosh yeshivah in the town of Mád, Hungary. He authored the well-known book series Levush Mordechai.

[204] leaves, of which [344] pp. are written. Size: 11x18 cm. Extremely important manuscript.

Fine condition: Aging stains. The first leaf has a small tear with lack. Several leaves are detached. Original binding, dismantled and with damaged spine.