Talmud Bavli. Vilna, 1859. First Edition of the Rasha"sh. Original Leather Binding

Talmud Bavli. Vilna, 1859. First Edition of the Rasha"sh. Original Leather Binding

Complete and important set of the Talmud in 25 volumes - all volumes of the Babylonian Talmud with its commentaries, and volumes of the Ri"f. Vilna, Yosef Reuven Re'em Press. Printed 1858-1866. Original leather bindings.

One of the most important editions of Sha"s! The Re'em Press in Vilna printed Sha"s only once before, in single volumes over about twenty years, so the first printing is considered hard-to-find in its entirety.

This important edition was printed in the lifetime of the gaon Rabbi Shmuel Strashun of Vilna - the Rasha"sh, and it included his fundamental glosses and novellae for the first time. These were subsequently printed in all editions of the Sha"s. The next, common edition of the Sha"s printed by the Re'em Press (1880-1886), known as the Vilna Sha"s, was printed after the Rash"sh's passing. This edition here also includes the 'Meir Netiv' glosses by Rabbi Meir HaKohen - which were omitted in later editions.

A great controversy arose in the middle of printing this Sha"s: In 1861, the Berlin printers Zittenfeld began to print a new edition of Sh"as - but the printers in Poland - Shapira in Zhitomir, Re'em in Vilna and the Warsaw printers, were already in the middle of printing their own editions of the Talmud. Zittenfeld sold the copies he had already printed for lower prices than that of the Polish presses, and he even sent off to Poland to gather subscribers for his Sha"s. The printers were concerned that some of the people who had committed to acquiring the Sh"as from their presses would abandon them and buy from Zittenfeld's press. Therefore, the printers from the above three cities joined together and turned to the rabbis with a request to prohibit sale of the Zittenfeld Sha"s in Poland so that there is no encroachment of their rights in Poland.

The Bava Batra volume includes two leaves with approbations, decrees and bans against purchasing from the Berlin Press. The rabbis cited here include: Rabbi Avraham Simchah of Omtchislav, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac of Vitepsk, Rabbi Shmuel Avigdor Tosfa'ah Rabinowitz of Karlin, Rabbi Elazar Moshe Horowitz of Pinsk, Rabbi Meir Berlin of Mohilev, Rabbi Moshe Nechemiah Kahanov of Choslovitz, Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman of Mir, and more.

[20] volumes of Talmud Bavli + [5] volumes of the Ri"f. 38.5 cm.

Overall fine condition. Minimal aging stains and usage marks. Original leather bindings, worn. Some of the spines are incomplete and blemished.