Marcheshet, responsa and novellae by R. Chanoch Henoch Eigis, a rabbi of Vilna, Part I, on Orach Chaim and Yoreh Deah, with sections on the topics of Hazamah (refuting witnesses) and Ye'ush (despair). Bilgoraj: Notte Kronenberg, 1931. First edition.
Copy of the Chazon Ish, with glosses in his handwriting. The book contains nine scholarly glosses, some or all of them handwritten by R. Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz, the Chazon Ish (some of the glosses may have been written by another member of his household, or written by him while lying in bed or another position that made writing difficult; in any case, the contents and style of glosses are typical of the Chazon Ish's study method).

R. Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz (1879-1953), author of the Chazon Ish, a foremost scholar in Halachah and Jewish thought in our times. A preeminent Torah scholar and hidden righteous man, his first book Chazon Ish was published in 1911 anonymously, since then he has been known by the name of his book. In his great modesty, he would sign his name with his initials only: "Ish". After World War I, during which he fled to Belarus, he returned in 1920 to Lithuania and lived for several years in Vilna. He immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1933, where he became recognized as the leading Torah authority, and stood at the helm of the renaissance of the Torah world in our generation. He authored and published numerous volumes of Chazon Ish, which were written with great toil and in-depth study, covering nearly all Talmudic topics.
During the time the Chazon Ish lived in Vilna, he was a close associate of the rabbis of the city, R. Chaim Ozer Grodzinski and R. Chanoch Eigis, author of the Marcheshet, who would discuss Torah with him and held him in high esteem (Pe'er HaDor, a biography of the Chazon Ish (I, p. 340), describes the departure of the Chazon Ish for Eretz Israel on Motza'ei Shabbat 7 Tammuz 1933 – heading the crowd of well-wishers on the platform of the Vilna train station were R. Chaim Ozer and R. Chanoch Eiges).

[3], 3-124, [1] leaves + [2] leaves – front and back printed wrappers. 34 cm. High-quality paper. Good condition. Stains and wear. Original binding (with new spine), with minor damage.

Manuscript, Etz Chaim, kabbalah of the Arizal by R. Chaim Vital. [Sephardic lands, 18th century].
Cursive Oriental script (characteristic of the Ottoman regions, perhaps from Eretz Israel). The present volume begins from gate 25 – Shaar Derushei HaTzelem, until the end of the book (gate 48, normally called Shaar HaKelipot, here called Shaar Derushei HaKelipot; gate 49, normally called Shaar Kelipat Nogah, here called Shaar HaKelipot; and gate 50, normally called Shaar Kitzur Abia, here [mistakenly?] called Shaar Kelipat Nogah).
The scribe included glosses and references in parentheses within the text, and sometimes in "windows" inside the text, including a small number of glosses from R. Yaakov Tzemach and R. Moshe Zacuto.
Among others, there appear several glosses attributed to "Charshak".
It is unclear who "Charshak" is and what the initial letters of "Charshak" stand for. We know that R. Avraham Meyuchas, author of Sedeh HaAretz, cites him often in his work Diglei Ahavah (commentary on Etz Chaim), where he usually calls him "M. D. Charshak" (see preface to the work, Ahavat Shalom edition, Jerusalem 2003, p. 26, and p. 50, note 96). The Sedeh HaAretz is effectively the only source that cites him, apparently based on a manuscript he had. The present manuscript is an additional source for the glosses of this "Charshak" (which was written in the same period and perhaps in the same region; the writing resembles the handwriting of the Sedeh HaAretz).
In one place appears a gloss beginning "it appears to me, Chanan…". The identity of this writer is unclear to us.

[235] leaves. 21 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains (with ink fading in several places). Worming, affecting text in several leaves. New binding.

Manuscript, novellae of R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz on the Talmud (topics in Nashim and Nezikin), handwritten by his disciples. [France and Germany, ca. 1750-1770].
Manuscript comprising booklets from several writers who studied under R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz in Metz, Altona and Hamburg. Most of the contents were written during the lifetime of their teacher based on his oral teachings. For the most part, these booklets contain pilpul discussions (Chiluka DeRabanan) on various Talmudic passages, and one sermon for Shabbat HaGadol. The manuscript belonged to R. Moshe Halberstadt, a disciple of R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz, and a large share of the booklets are in his handwriting. His signatures appear in several places, at the ends of discussions: "I heard and wrote, Moshe of Halberstadt".

The beginnings of the discussions usually contain a title with the topic and an attribution to R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz, and sometimes also note a place and date. For example: "Chiluka DeRabanan in the topic of Kidushin… I heard from my teacher and master R. Yehonatan, Sunday, 9th Shevat 1760, here in Hamburg"; "…by my teacher and master R. Yehonatan, Rabbi of Metz"; "…the famous R. Yehonatan, Rabbi of Metz and has been accepted as Rabbi of the triple community Altona, Hamburg, Wandsbek"; "Chiluka DeRabanan in the topic of Ketubot… by my teacher and master R. Yehonatan… I heard… Cheshvan 1760… here in Hamburg". At the top of several leaves appears the title: "Explanations from R. Yehonatan on Tractate Bava Metzia". Some pages in this booklet additionally contain the inscription: "Here, Altona, 1757". At the top of one page appears an inscription with the date 1754, signed by the same Moshe Halberstadt.

On the blank page at the beginning of the first booklet ("Chilukei DeRabanan in the topic of riding and steering") is an inscription from Sunday, 10th Sivan 1766, signed by "Itzek of Grieshaber", on the delivery of the booklet to his friend Moshe Halberstadt. An additional inscription on the same page: "To Berlin… my friend… R. Moshe Halberstadt in the house of R. Avraham Tzvi". He may also be the writer of the delivered booklet. Apparently, this is R. Yitzchak Itzek Grieshaber (1741-1823), Rabbi of Paks, a disciple of the Noda BiYehudah and a prominent rabbi of his generation (the present lot would then provide a novel biographical detail, that he was a disciple of R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz too).

At the beginnings of the discussions R. Yehonatan (d. 1764) is generally referred to with blessings for the living, and in some of the later booklets, including the sermon for Shabbat HaGadol, he is already mentioned with blessings for the deceased.
R. Yehonatan writes in the introduction to his Kreti UPhleti that he wrote few of his novellae himself, mentioning the notebooks of disciples who put his teachings in writing: "Although I intended to publish all of my novellae that I delivered in conferences with my wholesome disciples and exceptional peers, my plan was foiled and I was able to write only a small amount because I was very busy. Many papers I had written disappeared at the blink of an eye, since they were in common use, and I was too busy to guard them from being handed over to outsiders…". He goes on to state that he gave public lectures on the Shulchan Aruch from his novellae, and his disciples copied the topics covered for themselves. These transcriptions were the source of the various versions that developed, since each student wrote according to his own comprehension.
As R. Yehonatan writes there, this often brought about mistakes; however, these notebooks served as the basis for his works. In preparing Kreti UPhleti and Urim VeTumim, R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz carefully edited two drafts of his novellae. After an initial first draft, he would examine his leading disciples' notebooks containing his novellae and edit his and his disciples' writings into a final revision (other books of his, including Yaarot Devash and other homiletical works and commentaries on the Torah, are mostly from students' notes).
We have no information on the disciple Moshe Halberstadt. In R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz's novellae on the Rambam's Laws of Yom Tov (Berlin, 1799), his name appears as one of the pre-subscribers. In the publisher's preface preceding the pre-subscriber list, he writes that the novellae "were kept in manuscript… in the collection of holy writings from his important and upright disciples, as is known to the subscribers on the verso of the leaf…".

[66] leaves. Approx. 20 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Tears to several leaves, affecting text. Detached leaves and booklets. Without binding.

One discussion in the present manuscript has been published as Kuntres Harchakat Nezikin (in the present item: "On the passage on mustard"), in Ohel Torah II – Bava Batra, Or Elchanan yeshiva, Iyar 1992, pp. 9-25, where the present manuscript is said to have formerly belonged to R. Itzele Blazer, Rabbi of St. Petersburg. To the best of our knowledge, the rest of the manuscript has not been published.

Notebook handwritten by R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach – halachic discussions of various topics (primarily in the laws of Shabbat), written in various periods. [Jerusalem, ca. 1950-1970s].
Autograph writing, with many deletions, additions and glosses. This notebook was written over the course of many years, with notes and novellae on various halachic matters, with short titles for the topics discussed in it: the blessing over Torah study; Pesik Reisha; hunting and trapping on Shabbat; error in labor; Eruv Tavshilin; demolishing; removing dirt from clothing; selecting; Muktzeh; chamber pots; utensils for forbidden use; touching Muktzeh; and more.

R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910-1995), dean of the Kol Torah yeshiva and leading posek. Born in Jerusalem to R. Chaim Yehudah Leib Auerbach, dean of the Shaar HaShamayim kabbalistic yeshiva. He was a close disciple of R. Isser Zalman Meltzer, who held him in high esteem and quotes him in his book Even HaAzel. In his youth, R. Shlomo Zalman was a household member of R. Zelig Reuven Bengis, head of the Edah HaCharedit, who despite being an elder Lithuanian Torah scholar held the young Torah scholar in high regard. In the home of R. Bengis, R. Shlomo Zalman made acquaintance with his colleague R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and elder Jerusalem Torah scholars such as R. Gershon Lapidot and the Rabbi of Teplik. In time, R. Shlomo Zalman became one of the leading poskim and the foremost authority in several halachic fields, such as medicine and halachah. His pleasant ways and refinement earned him the veneration of all sects of Orthodox Judaism, as was expressed at his funeral which was attended by some 300,000 people.

Notebook, containing about 22 written pages. Approx. 20 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. Inscriptions in handwriting of an editor. Original Bristol board wrapper, somewhat torn.

Manuscript booklet (15 pages), halachic responsum by R. Shmuel Avigdor Tosfaah, Rabbi of Nyasvizh and Karlin, sent to R. Yaakov Moshe, "the Rabbi of Stalovichy". Nyasvizh, [ca. 1854].
Lengthy halachic responsum on the division of an estate by a Beit Din without all heirs present. The case involved an estate with three heirs, one of whom was not present due to being conscripted to the army in an unknown location. The house was in need of expensive repairs, and the question was whether the two brothers were permitted to sell the third brother's share in order to repair theirs. Another responsum on the issue was sent to the same querent by R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor who was serving at the time as Rabbi of Novardok (see next lot). The present responsum was also sent to R. Yaakov Moshe and comes from his family's archive (the neat, even writing appears to indicate that R. Shmuel Avigdor sent the responsum to the querent in a copy made by his scribe, and the signature at the end is also presumably in the copyist's handwriting).
The present responsum has apparently never been printed, and it appears to be the only responsum to survive from R. Shmuel Avigdor's responsa on Choshen Mishpat, which was prepared for printing but was lost in a fire. This event is recorded in the introduction of the author's grandson to his She'erit HaPletah (Warsaw, 1888), who recounts that an immense amount of R. Shmuel Avigdor's manuscripts "were consumed by a profane fire". He goes on to detail the contents of the burned works, including Part II of Responsa She'elat Shlomo: "…the two parts of the Responsa on Choshen Mishpat and Even HaEzer were also food for the jaws of the great flame…".

R. Shmuel Avigdor Tosfaah (1806-1866), Rabbi of Karlin, prominent Lithuanian Torah scholar. Recognized for his brilliance from his youth, at age 18 he was appointed Rabbi of Achorei Nahar (Vorstadt, a suburb across the river of Grodno), succeeding his brother-in-law R. Binyamin Diskin (father of Maharil Diskin) when the latter relocated to another city. At that time, he began to author his magnum opus Tana Tosfaah on the Tosefta (he later changed his surname to Tosfaah after this work). In 1839 he relocated to serve as Rabbi of Svislach and subsequently of Augustów (Poland). In 1853 he again moved in order to serve as Rabbi of Nyasvizh, and in 1856 he moved to Karlin to serve as Rabbi, succeeding the Keren Orah. He held this position for the rest of his life, and today he is known as Rabbi of Karlin.

The recipient of the letter, R. Yaakov Moshe Direktor (1809-1879), Rabbi of Mush, a Lithuanian Torah scholar, famous as a holy man and wonderworker. A disciple of R. Itzele of Volozhin, he served as Rabbi of Stalovichy (a town near Novardok). He engaged in halachic discussions with leading rabbis of his generation, including the Nachalat David; R. Eizel Charif, Rabbi of Slonim; and R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor. In 1857 he relocated to serve as Rabbi of Mush (Novaya Mysh). He was the father of R. Yisrael Yehonatan Yerushalimsky (1860-1917), Rabbi of Orlya and Ihumen (Chervyen), father-in-law of R. Yechezkel Abramsky, Head of the London Beit Din, author of Chazon Yechezkel.
The present responsum was written and sent ca. 1853-1856, since R. Shmuel Avigdor served as Rabbi of Nyasvizh from 1853 until Pesach 1856.

8 leaves (containing 15 closely written pages, in neat writing). 22 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Wear and small open tears to corners of leaves. Detached leaves. Worming, slightly affecting text.