Bidspirit auction | Manuscript of Maran Rabbi Aharon

Manuscript of Maran Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman – Drafts for His Monumental Work Ayelet HaShachar – Including Novellae Possibly Never Published - “Moses Received the Torah at Sinai!” Seven pages in the holy handwriting of the leader of the generation, Maran the Gaon Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman, containing Torah novellae on several tractates of the Talmud, which served as drafts for his monumental series Ayelet HaShachar. Accompanied by an additional, particularly moving slip of paper, on which Rabbi Steinman copied in his own handwriting words of the pre-Holocaust leader of the generation, Maran the Gaon Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski. [Bnei Brak, circa ה'תש”ס – 21st century]. Four lined notebook leaves, three written on both sides, containing Rabbi Steinman’s Torah novellae on several tractates of Seder Nashim – Kiddushin, Nazir and Yevamot. The novellae are written with extreme concision, in short, concentrated lines, each containing profound insights and displaying his renowned genius. The novellae were subsequently published in his monumental series Ayelet HaShachar, the work with which his name became identified for posterity. On some of the pages, Rabbi Steinman drew cancellation lines through the text, apparently to indicate that these novellae had already been incorporated into the book. By contrast, three pages of Torah novellae remain without such cancellation marks, and it is possible that these contain novellae that were ultimately not incorporated into his books and have never been published. Alongside one page of novellae, Rabbi Steinman wrote in the margin: “Until here was said” – a notation that may indicate that the material was written for a shiur delivered before his students. The contents of this page, however, were also subsequently published in Ayelet HaShachar on Tractate Kiddushin, [10a]. These leaves provide a rare glimpse into the Torah workspace of the Gadol HaDor – at the stage when the novellae were still before him in draft form, prior to editing and publication. One can see the original formulation of the insights, the cancellation marks made after their incorporation into the book, and apparently even remnants of novellae that remained outside the published text. These are therefore actual working pages from the creation of Ayelet HaShachar, one of the best-known and most widely studied works in the yeshiva world of the last generation. Of particular significance is a small slip of paper headed by Rabbi Steinman: “The approbation of the Gracha”z [Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski] to the sefer Avodat HaKorbanot.” Beneath the heading, Rabbi Steinman copied word for word from Rabbi Chaim Ozer: “Indeed, the entire Talmud is interwoven, and all its subjects are bound and connected with one another; and many important laws concerning matters practiced in our own time branch out from laws that are not currently practiced. One who lacks knowledge of those areas of Halacha that are not practiced in our times will consequently have deficient knowledge even of the laws that are practiced, and his knowledge will not be complete, profound and comprehensive. This is known to anyone who understands the Talmud.” his important passage was written by Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman, zt”l. He would frequently quote the words of the Achiezer in order to emphasize the importance of acquiring knowledge and proficiency in all areas of Torah. It appears that Rabbi Steinman copied this passage in order to read from it during one of his many sichot. See Zichroneinu Me’Erev, p. 22, where this very passage is quoted, with the following comment: “Rabbeinu would frequently mention this in his shiurim.” The Torah words of the pre-Holocaust “Gadol HaDor, ” Maran Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, copied in the holy handwriting of the post-Holocaust “Gadol HaDor, ” Maran Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman – a tangible expression of the transmission of Torah and tradition from generation to generation: “Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua.” [4] lined notebook leaves, 21 cm. [7 written pages] + paper slip, 9 × 7 cm. Overall condition: very good. Maran the Gaon Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman (תרע״ה–תשע״ח) – one of the foremost leaders of Haredi Jewry in the last generation and President of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. He headed the Ponevezh Yeshiva for younger students and the Ponevezh Kollel. Following the passing of Rabbi Shach in תשס״ב, he came to be recognized as the continuator of his path in the leadership of Lithuanian Haredi Jewry, alongside the preeminent halachic authority, the Gaon Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv of Jerusalem. For many years he was a central figure whose decisions and Torah opinion were accepted by broad sectors of the Haredi public – Chassidim and Mitnagdim, Sephardim and Ashkenazim alike. Despite the enormous sums that passed through his hands in the course of his activities on behalf of the Torah world,