Auction 050 Part 1 Satmar: Rebbes and Rabbis of Satmar-Sighet, Hungary and Transylvania

Collection of Books by Rabbi Yehudah Grünwald, Av Beit Din of Satmar – First Editions

Opening: $200
Sold for: $275
Including buyer's premium
Collection of eight books by R. Yehudah Grünwald, Av Beit Din of Satmar, author of Zichron Yehudah, or books he brought to press. Hungary, 1908-1938. First editions.
The collection includes:
* Zichron Yehudah – Part I on Orach Chaim. Budapest: Meshulam Zalman and Menachem HaKohen Katzburg, 1923, censored edition (see: Kedem Catalog, auction 048, item 60).
Inscription on title page: "I studied this book in 5694 [1934] in military uniform, because I have been working for five months and I don't know when the Creator will desire to redeem us from sorrow to joy, from slavery to freedom, and I hope He will soon take me out from darkness to light –Moshe Leib Weiss".
* Zichron Yehudah – Part II on Yoreh Deah, Even HaEzer and Choshen Mishpat, and second series on Orach Chaim. Ujhel (Sátoraljaújhely): Eliezer Deutsch, 1928. Pages 225-232 ("names of pre-subscribers") is undocumented in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book Project.
* Tehillim with Olelot Yehudah commentary. Satmar: Meir Leib Hirsch, 1927. Stamps of the Jewish community in Košice.
* Shevet MiYehudah on the Torah portions, Part I on Bereshit-Shemot and and Part II on Vayikra-Devarim. Seini: Yaakov Wieder, [1928]. Two parts in one volume. First edition. Published by R. Avraham Chanoch Friedman, nephew and disciple of the author (grandson of the Chatam Sofer). Lacking [2] final pages (pre-subscribers). Signature on endpaper: "Yechiel Tzvi Yehoshua, Hajdúnánás".
* Ethical will of R. Yehudah Grünwald. Seini: Yaakov Wieder, 1925.
* Chasdei Avot, novellae on Pirkei Avot. Seini: Yaakov Wieder, 1925. Two title pages, one in color. Published by R. Avraham Chanoch Friedman, nephew and disciple of the author (grandson of the Chatam Sofer). With approbation of the Keren LeDavid.
* She'erit Yehudah, novellae on the Torah and festivals. Munkacs: Aharon Dov Meisels, [1938]. Does not contain Teshuvah MiYirah by R. Yeshayah Alter Adler of Dubova, which had been printed with it.
* Novellae of the Chatam Sofer on Tractate Ketubot, with previously unpublished responsa and section on 14 mitzvot. Satmar: Natan Menachem Estreicher, 1908. Published by R. Avraham Chanoch Friedman, grandson of the author, who had received the author's autograph manuscript from his uncle and teacher, R. Yehudah Grünwald. On the reverse side of the title page is an introduction by R. Yehudah Grünwald.

8 volumes. Varying size and condition. Good general condition. New bindings.

R. Yehuda Grünwald (1848-1920), author of Responsa Zichron Yehudah, a leading rabbi and yeshiva dean in Hungary. An outstanding Torah scholar, recognized since his youth as holy and God-fearing. Disciple of the Ketav Sofer and son-in-law of his brother R. Yosefa Sofer, son of the Chatam Sofer. His teacher, the Ketav Sofer, said of him at his wedding that he was "holy of holies". Ever since his youth he was a faithful and close friend of R. Chaim Sonnenfeld (later rabbi of Jerusalem) and R. Moshe Grünwald (later rabbi of Khust, author of Arugat HaBosem), and he remained in close contact with them his whole life. Served as Av Beit Din of Sobotište, Bonyhád and Šurany. In 1898 he was accepted as Av Beit Din of Satmar, where he served for the remaining 22 years of his life. He opposed modernism and Zionism, and supported the Orthodox Jewish institutions of Satmar. He built Mikvaot, Torah schools, houses of study and synagogues. He was most famous for establishing a large yeshiva in Satmar numbering hundreds of students, many of whom later served as rabbis and dayanim in Hungary and Romania. Among his famous disciples are R. Yosef Nechemiah Kornitzer, Av Beit Din of Selish (Vynohradiv) and Cracow; R. Shemayah Lev, Av Beit Din of Bodrogkeresztúr; R. Chaim Betzalel Panet, Av Beit Din of Reteag; R. Moshe David Estreicher, Av Beit Din of Chepa; R. Naftali Hirtzka Henig, Av Beit Din of Sărmașu; and more.
During his tenure as Av Beit Din of Satmar, he was very warm to the young R. Yoel Teitelbaum, who moved to the city after his marriage, and he supported him financially. Once, after R. Yoel was accused of not being so needy, since he gave charity generously, R. Yehudah replied passionately that in that case he needed even more, and increased his financial support for him. Years later, when R. Yoel served as Av Beit Din in Satmar, he warned not to change the halachic customs of shechita in the city, as they are based on the holy rulings of the Zichron Yehudah.
Satmar and Hungarian Presses
Satmar and Hungarian Presses