Responsa Divrei Chaim, responsa on the four parts of Shulchan Aruch, by Rebbe Chaim Halberstam, rabbi of Sanz (Nowy Sącz). Lviv, 1875. First edition. Two volumes.
A large part of the responsa printed in Responsa Divrei Chaim pertain to questions of agunot. It is reported about the Divrei Chaim that "when he needed to sign a responsum regarding an agunah… he practiced much asceticism and immersions before he affixed his signature to the permit" (see Pitcha Zuta, Eruvin, 1907, foreword). This was his practice when writing responsa to questions he received, and also in his final years, when he began arranging his responsa for print.
Reputedly, when he worked on arranging and preparing his responsa for print, the Divrei Chaim would dictate the final version to his scribe, R. Abish Meyer, after midnight. After dictating several sections, the Divrei Chaim would go to immerse in the mikveh, then continue dictating the next few sections, and immerse again, "and thus he would immerse five times a night, while the scribe would write half a responsum, or one complete, brief responsum… in order to produce Torah novellae in holiness and purity" (see Mekor Chaim, Biłgoraj 1912, section 13).
Vol. I: [2], 134 leaves. Leaves 109-116 bound out of sequence. Vol. II: [4], 120 leaves. 36 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. Tears to title page of vol. I, not affecting text. Tears to several leaves of vol. II. Tear to leaf 53, affecting text. New leather bindings.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 118.