Auction 22
Lot 159:
Shot of Rabbi Yaakov Segel, the Maharil, whose psakim and minhags are used until today as the main basis of halachot and minhagim of the Jews of Ashkenaz. Illustrated cover from a wood carving, the Binding of Isaac. Figures of Moshe and Aaron. Printed by Hans Jacob Hane. Cover page has the signature of “Haim Davidson Avdak of Warsaw,” and three additional signatures: the page after the cover, page 2(1), and page 38(1). Page 58(2) has a one-word note and page 64(2) has a long note of 6 lines, all handwritten by him. | Rabbi Yaakov bar Moshe Moelin HaLevi Segel—the Maharil (c.1365-1427) was the son and pupil of Moshe Levi Moelin, Rabbi of Mainz, and a pupil of R. Shalom b. Isaac of Wiener Neustadt. At a young age, Moelin was recognized as a budding scholar. In 1387, he succeeded his father as Rabbi of Mainz. He established a yeshiva in Mainz which attracted many students. One of his most noteworthy students was Jacob Weil. He lived through the mass slaughter of Jews in Austria in 1420 and the Hussite wars in 1421, which brought suffering to the Jews of Bavaria and the Rhine. Maharil played an important role in rebuilding these communities. He died and was buried in Worms. He composed piyyutim for the synagogue. He was also a notable Hazzan who famously ruled that traditional melodies should not be changed. Some traditional melodies attributed to him were still in use in pre-World War II Mainz. He appears also to have been familiar with the study of astronomy. | Rav Haim Davidson (1760-1854) was the second Chief Rabbi of Warsaw. While he served people approached him with halachic questions from all over Poland, but before he died he burned his tshuvot and chiddushim in order to prevent them from being published. He corresponded with Polish sages of his generation, including Rav Eliyahu Regular of Kalish, Rav Barish Ashkenazi of Lublin, and more. His eldest son, Rav Avraham Ivlei Davidson, served as the Rabbi of Biely. | New leather binding. | 72 pages. 18cm. Generally good condition.
Share this lot:
