Auction 52

Lot of books by Rabbi Alter Elyakim Shraga Shapira. First editions, Chernowitz 1926-1934

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Start price: $250

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3 works written by Rabbi Alter Elyakim Shraga ben Chaim Shimon Shapira, who was Av Beit Din in Vikna and then Chernowitz (author of the Shem MiShimon on the Torah). First editions, all printed in Chernowitz during his lifetime:


1. Mekor Chaim on maamarim of the 4 Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim, Channukah and Purim. 1926. 152 pages. 8 last pages contain: “additions and corrections of the Megillat Yochsin printed in the works Shem MiShimon”, detailing the yichus of the author.
2. Beit Yisrael on the Torah—1928. 180 pages. At the end are two tshuvot to the author from the gaon Rabbi Meir Arik of Tarnov.
3. Beit Yehuda on the Torah and Kol Yehuda on Shut from the 4 sections of the Shulchan Aruch—1934. 194 pages. Kol Yehuda has a separate title page. Jacket on colorful paper mentions the two works with the year “1935.” The work has correspondence with gedolim of his generation.

Handsome, uniform leather bindings, stains, overall good condition.

The author, Rabbi Alter Elyakim Shraga Shapira (1855-1936) was the son of the Admor Rabbi Chaim Shimon of Tlust. He was a descendant of Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz and tzaddikim of the Spitovka dynasty, and the gaon kabbalist Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli (the rest of his yichus appears in the Shem MiShimon and Mekor Chaim). His talents became apparent already as a youth. He received a blessing from his aunt, the Rabbanit Tzipporah (wife of the Torat Chaim of Kosov and daughter of Rabbi Meir of Spitovka), that he would merit growing up in Torah. He was the grandfather of Rabbi Avraham Yosef Shapira.