Shas HaGadol She’Ba’Gdolim, Tractate Berachot, with commentaries and many additions, published by Rabbi Yosef Shapetshnik. London, [1919].
Volume designed in an exceptionally large format. Five title pages. With various additions to the "Seder Hadaf", besides the regular commentaries, such as the “Rishon Le'Zion” commentary by the author of “Or HaChaim”, the “Tirat Kesef” commentary by Rabbi Chaim Avraham Guttenyu, compilations from various books, etc. Other additions are found at the end of the volume.
Stamps (German) of Rabbi Moshe Shimshon Wasserman Av Bet Din of Darmstadt [and other German cities, author of the “She'elat Moshe” responsa]. Dedication in his handwriting on the leaf before the first title page: “I have given this gift in honor of the Rebbe of Husyityn, the holy Moshe Shimon Wasserman Rabbi of Darmstadt”. The book was given as a gift to the Rebbe Yisrael Freidman of Husiatyn (1858-1949), who resided in Vienna, Austria together with many of the Ruzin rebbes from World War I until he moved to Palestine shortly before the Holocaust.
Volume in an especially large format. [6], 13 leaves, 27-36 pages, 13-17 leaves, 37-42 pages, 18-26 leaves, 43-54 pages, 27-64 leaves, 55-100 pages. 50 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Stamps. Damages on the binding.
No other tractates of this Talmud were printed.

Babylonian Talmud Tractate Nidah and Mishnayot Seder Taharot. Vienna, 1811. First edition of the Vilna Gaon's glosses on the Talmud.
At the top of the title page is the signature of the author of Minchat Chinuch, Rabbi "Yosef Babad of Sniatyn". On the last leaf are various ownership inscriptions that the book belongs to "Rabbi Yosef Babad Rabbi of Sniatyn" and another inscription that the "Talmud (Tractate) Nidah belongs to …Rabbi David Babad Rabbi of Probezhna" and a handwritten inscription of a draft for a wedding invitation. Few handwritten marginalia of corrections.
Rabbi Yosef Babad (1801-1879), son of Rabbi Moshe Babad Av Beit Din of Pshevarsk. Grandson and disciple of Rabbi Yehoshua Babad Av Beit din of Ternopil, author of Sefer Yehoshua and son-in-law of Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Halberstam Av Beit Din of Tarnogród. He was the study partner of his great brother-in-law Rebbe Chaim Halberstam, author of Divrei Chaim of Sanz. From a young age, he was well-known for his genius and his sharp intelligence and before he reached the age of 30, he was renowned as a leading rabbi of his times. He served in the rabbinates of Husakiv and Zaverezh'ye. In 1842, he was appointed Av Beit Din of Sniatyn and in 1857 he moved to serve in the Ternopil rabbinate, following in the footsteps of his illustrious grandfather Rabbi Yehoshua Babad.
His Torah novellae became famous during his lifetime by hearsay and questions and clever witty arguments are brought in the name of the Rabbi of Sniatyn in books authored by Torah scholars of his times. In the Sho'el U'Meshiv responsa, the Rabbi of Sniatyn is mentioned many times. Yet his primary teachings were transferred throughout the generations in his great book Minchat Chinuch about the 613 mitzvot explained by the Sefer HaChinuch. This book was published anonymously in 1869 as is written on the title page: “…This is an extensive commentary on Sefer HaChinuch written with tremendous 'pilpul' and amazing erudition…authored by one of the most outstanding Torah geniuses of our times, holy and pure. In his great humility, he concealed his name...". The publisher revealed the name of the author only in the second 1889 Lemberg edition, 10 years after Rabbi Babad died.
Minchat Chinuch eventually became one of the basic books of erudite and in-depth study in all the Batei Midrash throughout Galicia and Poland, Lithuania and Hungary, and the entire Diaspora until today. Throughout the years, thousands of copies in dozens of editions were printed, notwithstanding the dozens of books written about his explanations and questions.
Beside his Torah stature, he was also famous as a sacred pure servant of G-d [the author of Sho'el U'Meshiv writes in his eulogy that he never looked beyond his four cubits"]. He was close to the courts of Chassidic leaders. He stayed for a while near Rabbi Naftali of Ropczyce [who is reported to have told Rabbi Yosef to return home because his service of G-d is by diligent study of Torah]. Until the end of his days, Rabbi Yosef called Rabbi Naftali of Ropczyce his rebbe. Rabbi Babad wore white attire like Chassidim in his days and sometimes also received "kvitlach" and gave advice and blessings for salvation and cures.
His son Rabbi David Babad, [who apparently received the book as an inheritance from his eminent father] served as Av Beit Din of Probezhna before 1854. He thereafter moved to serve as Ra'avad in Sniatyn. In 1888, he ascended to Eretz Israel and served as Rabbi of Safed until c. 1894.
[9], 2-89 leaves; 199 leaves. 40 cm. Thick soft paper. Good-fair condition, much wear with drippings of candlewax. Ancient stamps from Safed synagogues. Old, non original binding.
Enclosed is an expert's authorization identifying the handwriting of the signature as identical to his handwriting found elsewhere.

Rommemut El, Tehillim (without vowels) with the commentary of Rabbi Moshe Alshich. Amsterdam, 1695. Printed by David Tartas. Abridged edition by Rabbi Eliezer ben Rabbi Chanina of the Tarnogród community in Poland.
Faded signature in the center of the title page and signatures and inscriptions at the end of the book in the handwriting of Rabbi Tevli HaCohen Schiff of Frankfurt am Main (who bought the book from his uncle Rabbi Leib Zintzheim).
Rabbi David Tevli HaCohen Schiff (died in Kislev 1791), was one of the greatest Torah figures of his illustrious days, and a leading Frankfurt scholar. Disciple of the Shev Ya'akov and the Pnei Yehoshua. From 1748-1760 he headed the Worms kloiz which was established by his uncle Rabbi Leib Zintzheim. In 1760, he returned to his native city Frankfurt am Main to serve as Dayan in the Bet Din of Rabbi Avraham Abish, Av Bet Din of Frankfurt, together with his faithful friend Dayan Rabbi Natan. They had a long-standing friendship from the time they both studied in yeshiva under the Shev Ya'akov and Pnei Yehoshua until their senior years, as Rabbi David Tevli himself writes in his approbation to the book Binyan Shlomo on Tractate Sanhedrin. When Rabbi Tevli returned to Frankfurt, he taught the Torah genius Rabbi Natan Adler of Frankfurt am Main [the Chatam Sofer's teacher], who deemed him his closest teacher from whom he learned the most. In 1765, he was appointed Chief Rabbi of London and its surrounding area.
Rabbi David Tevli had a close relationship with many Torah leaders of his times such as Rabbi Shaul Av Bet Din of Amsterdam, Rabbi Yechezkel Landau author of Nodah Be'Yehuda, who writes about Rabbi Schiff (Nodah Be’Yehuda responsa, Even HaEzer, Tanina, Siman 76): “The honorable beloved friend whom I cherish, the luminary Rabbi … the famous great Torah genius…He left no angle in all the teachings of the Torah authorities which he did not quote…”. Also Rabbi Yeshaya Pik of Breslau had correspondence with Rabbi Schiff and writes: “The famous great Torah genius… sharp-minded… regularly teaches Torah to disciples, studies Torah for its own sake to fulfill its teachings”.
93, [1] leaves. Approximately 20 cm. Good-fair condition, wear, detached leaves, torn binding.

Five books of the Torah, with the five Megillot, and "Ashkenaz glossary". Vienna, [1815]. Printed by Anton Schmidt.
A unique copy, designated for administering oaths to Jewish witnesses in the Christian court of law. Pasted before the title page is a handwritten document in German signed by Karl Fischer, the censor, editor and Hebrew translator of the royal house, and by Rabbi Elazar Fleckeles head of the Bet Din of Prague [in German] which authorizes this book for administering oaths to Jews testifying in the court. On the previous leaf is another handwritten authorization signed by Karl Fischer, and on the front cover's leaf is another document in German. On the title page is a governmental stamp for the city of Graz.
Glued on Leaf 59 is a colored leaf for marking the page upon which the hand should rest at the time of the oath. On this page, the verse “Do not take the name of the Lord your G-d in vain…” is marked in parentheses. Leaf 98 is also marked on the verse “Do not make for yourselves false G-ds and idols…” The leaves are numbered up to these pages.
Rabbi Elazar Fleckeles (1754-1826), the leading disciple of the Nodah Be’Yehuda and the head of the Bet Din of Prague, served as Av Bet Din of Gutein from 1779-1783. In 1783, he was appointed Dayan and head of the Bet Din in Prague and his fame spread beyond the city as one of the top Torah scholars of his times. He wrote the responsa Teshuva Me’Ahava [three parts] and other books.
Rabbi Elazar Fleckeles and Karl Fischer maintained a remarkable friendship and they even corresponded in Hebrew. Printed in his book, Teshuva Me’Ahava Part 1, Siman 26 is a responsum which Rabbi Elazar Fleckeles wrote to Mr. Fischer on the subject of Jews’ oaths to non-Jews. Among other matters, he discusses the significance of a person placing his hand upon a Chumash, tefillin or on the Zohar while taking an oath. See attached material.
163; [1], 43 leaves. 23 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear, tears on the leaf of authorization and on several other leaves. Original cover, detached and worn.