Mei Naftoach on Tractate Yevamot, by Rabbi David Tevli Katzenellenbogen. St. Petersburg (Leningrad), 1923. First edition.
Handwritten glosses and corrections [apparently in the author's handwriting].
Rabbi David Tevli Katzenellenbogen (1850-1930), was an illustrious Lithuanian rabbi and one of the eldest among Russian rabbis. At a young age, he was well-known for his amazing erudite Torah knowledge and at sixteen already edited a short commentary on the Talmud Yerushalmi. Served in the rabbinate of Lithuanian towns, and was appointed Rabbi of Suwalki in 1894. In 1907, he was summoned to St. Petersburg to serve as rabbi, and was greatly esteemed by Jews and non-Jews alike. Even after the Bolshevik revolution, he continued in his position in the rabbinate of the city (whose name was changed to Leningrad in 1924). These days brought distress and misery to the Jewish population and particularly to the rabbis in the country and the printing of Mei Naftoach on Tractate Yevamot in Leningrad in 1924, in the "Red Propagandist" printing press [which also printed the official newspaper "Izvestia"] was an amazing phenomenon. In 1928, he also printed the book of his homiletics "Gam Ele Divrei David" in Leningrad.
[2], 47, [1] leaves. 35.5 cm. Dry brittle paper. Fair condition. Wear and tears, stains. Contemporary damaged binding.
One of the few Hebrew books printed at the time in Russia.