Auction 47
Lot 115:
The work Chafetz Haim alludes to the verse “Who is the man who Chafetz Haim (cares about life) … shall stop his tongue from evil … it is a work based on the halachot of issurei lashon hara and gossip and their derivatives…”—such is the description given by Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen Radin for his important work. This edition (as with most editions printed during his lifetime) of the foundational work does not feature the author’s name—he is noted only by a Polish abbreviation (I. M. Kagan) on the back of the title page, and in his modesty he would even erase his name from the approbations.
This important edition was printed in Warsaw at the end of his life (approximately 1930). The back of the title page has a printed dedication from the author, “as a memento for M. Avraham Meyers, of New York, whose kindness helped me, as for close to two years he has spread my work in his country…may Hashem be with him and may he succeed in all his ventures; the author.” Bound with Shmirat HaLashon, parts 1 and 2 (separate title page for each section); at the end is also the pamphlet Sfat Tamim—with the same printed dedication of the back of the title page—the book Chovat HaShmira (separate title page), and the pamphlet Maamar Kvod Shamayim by the author. 78; 38, [6], 19; 14, 2-5 leaves.
In the margins of the first title page and the corners of the first leaves are light tears because of the brittle paper, without damage to text. Original inscribed binding, spine, and corners have been professionally repaired while their authenticity has been preserved. Given inside a handsome matching case in the shape of a book with a gilded inscription on the spine.
This is a unique variant with printing errors inside, corrected by hand by the author Maran Yisrael Meir HaKohen of Radin, using a specially script about which you can read in the book by Rabbi Ben-Zion Vicheldar, “Ahavat Zion” (p. 66-67), which he wrote about a copy of the Mishnah Brurah which he received as an inheritance from his grandfather Rabbi Eliyahu who bought it directly from the Chafetz Haim. His book has scans of corrections in a handwriting which matches this copy (see the attached pictures).
This copy has been preserved with great intensity by a family which managed to escape with the book amidst the Shoah, to move to Israel and to preserve it.
List of corrections: p. 17: two lines omitted in printing have been filled in with a stamp using blue ink p. 24: two lines omitted in printing have been filled in by hand by the author, 35 letters in two lines p. 43: correction of a printing error handwritten by the author, 4 letters in two lines The fifth leaf of the work Chovat HaShmira: correction of 2 words
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