Collection of notebooks and leaves handwritten by R. Eliyahu Landau, descendant of the Gaon of Vilna, historical and genealogical research on the Gaon of Vilna and generations of his descendants, and on his disciples and prominent Torah scholars belonging to his school of thought. [Eretz Israel, ca. early 20th century].
The collection includes:
• Two notebooks and large sheets of paper with lists of names (in alphabetical order) of descendants of the family of the Gaon of Vilna (men and women), disciples of the Gaon of Vilna and their disciples. These lists include many facts, such as dates of birth and death, various biographic details and references to biography books (Ir Vilna, Kiryah Ne'emana, and more).
• Notebook with the family trees of the sons and grandsons of the Gaon of Vilna.
• Two notebooks, one with the epitaphs and the other with biographies of various figures – the Gaon of Vilna and his descendants, the disciples of the Gaon of Vilna and Lithuanian Torah scholars.
• Notes and other drafts related to this study.
These notebooks and leaves were presumably written in preparation for a book on the history of the family of the Gaon of Vilna and his disciples. No such work was ultimately published.
This historical material reveals unknown facts about the Gaon of Vilna, his family and the printing of his books (R. Shlomo Gottesman refers to this manuscript in his article Biography of R. Yaakov Moshe of Slonim, Yeshurun, V, 1999, pp. 118-136; see note 5 and throughout the article). See item 63.
Notebooks, leaves and pieces of paper in various sizes, altogether some 100 written pages. Size and condition vary. Stains, tears and wear.
Provenance: The Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection, Jerusalem.