Auction 77
Lot 6:
Sefer Mekor Mayim Chaim by Rabbi Chaim Schechter – First Edition Bilgoray, 1933, "Shut that I compiled from Shas and Poskim… on section I of Yoreh Deah… Chaim Schechter Shochen and Bodek and Moreh Tzeddek of Yaniv". First edition, Bilgoray – 1933. 80 pp. 22.5 cm. Moth perforations and damage mainly to the first leaves. Stains and other blemishes. The rest of the book in good condition. Original fabric binding with blemishes and some mold stains. The book remained as it was due to its special story.
The story of the valuable book and the rabbinic controversy
In his monumental book, Me’orei Galicia (pp. 267-270), in the entry about Rabbi Chaim Schechter of Yaniv, the author Rabbi Meir Wonder writes about this book: "In Siman 25 (i.e. Siman 30) there is harsh criticism of the downturn of rabbinic figures and their relationship with the Shochatim and Bodkim. Consequently, he was attacked by those who were offended by his words and Rabbi Eliezer Leiter Av Beit Din of Trambobla even confiscated 980 copies of the book, refusing to return them…". Rabbi Wonder also notes that only few copies remained of this book by Rabbi Chaim Schechter.
In this copy, the full story is disclosed by the author, who handwrote on verso of the binding: "…this book of mine is valuable to me since it is the single one that remained after a thousand copies were taken from me violently by the tyrant Rabbi Leiter… [here harsh words are written about Rabbi Leiter] because I wrote in Siman 30 about a scandal occurring in these days, rabbis acting out of greed…and he didn’t like this since he was one of them… therefore, he forcibly took my books, threatening to turn me in to the authorities… and thank G-d, I won the case and have a Psak Din Torah from the Geonim rabbis that the books should be returned to me yet he refuses to listen… and twice he has turned me in to the authorities and wanted to see me arrested… and he has the books, I had sold only twenty before he took them from me…" his handwritten signature: "חיים שכטר האב"ד דפה"ק יאנוב" and his varied stamps throughout the book.
Over the years, the first part of the book was damaged by time and removed from the varied libraries. A unique collector kept it in his library, to tell the story to the following generations amd it is now presented to you.
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