Babylonian Talmud, Tractates Gittin and Nazir – Zhitomir, 1863 – From the Only Talmud Edition Printed in Zhitomir – ...

Babylonian Talmud, Tractates Gittin and Nazir – Zhitomir, 1863 – From the Only Talmud Edition Printed in Zhitomir – Important Ownership, Rebbes of the Liadi Dynasty – Stamp of Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman Schneersohn of Liadi (Son of the Tzemach Tzedek) – Signature of His Son Rebbe Yitzchak Dov Ber, Author of Siddur Maharid

Babylonian Talmud, Tractates Gittin and Nazir, with Hilchot HaRosh, Alfasi, Mordechai and Tosefta, Maharsha and Maharam Schiff. Zhitomir: R. Chanina Lipa and R. Yehoshua Heschel Shapira, grandsons of the rabbi of Slavita, 1863.
Copy owned by the rebbes of the Liadi dynasty.
On the second title page, stamp (indistinct and difficult to decipher) of Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman Schneersohn of Liadi, son of the Tzemach Tzedek: "Chaim Shneur Zalman".
Three signatures of his son, Rebbe Yitzchak Dov Ber Schneersohn (Maharid), appear alongside the stamp: "Yitzchak Dov Ber Schneersohn"; "Yitzchak Dov Ber Sh.S. [=Schneersohn]"; "Yitzchak Dov Ber".
An additional signature, by the son of Rebbe Maharid, R. Yehuda Leib Schneersohn Rabbi of Homel and Vitebsk: "Yehuda Leib Sh.S. [=Schneersohn]".
The writer Alexander Ziskind Rabinovitz (known as Azar; a native of Liadi) describes in his memoirs the library of Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman, the books the latter inherited from his father the Tzemach Tzedek, and Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman's Talmud volumes: "…I often saw him studying the Talmud, and books of the Talmud and responsa were always found on his table along with kabbalistic books. His library was very large, since he inherited many books from his ancestors, in addition to the books he purchased himself" (the remaining volumes of Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman's set of Talmud, apart from a second volume offered in this auction, appeared in Kedem Auction 6, item 306).
Inscription in Yemenite script on second title page: "Belongs to Av[raham] son of Av[raham] al-Hishash, may G-d grant him the merit of studying it, him and his descendants for all generations to come".
[2], 2-125; 21; 21; 144-206; 68, [1] leaves. Two title pages at beginning of volume, the first one torn and half lacking. Title pages printed in red and black. Divisional title page for Tractate Nazir. Printed color wrappers at beginning and end of volume. 41.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Wear to some leaves and title pages. Worming to some leaves, title pages and wrappers. New leather binding.

In this edition, the commentary of Maharam Schiff and Meir Nativ were printed for the first time at the end of the Talmud volumes. Up until then, they had been printed as independent books (Maamar al Hadpasat HaTalmud, by R. R.N.N. Rabinovitz).
Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1814-1879), son of the Tzemach Tzedek, rebbe of Lubavitch. Beit Rebbi describes his fervent, passionate prayers, which broke the hearts of those who witnessed them and could melt even a heart of stone. It goes on to portray his exceptional wisdom and kindhearted nature. Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman settled in Liadi in 1869, where a large following gathered around him to absorb his teachings and seek his counsel. He would receive each and every person warmly, and his blessings were fulfilled. R. Yaakov Lipschitz of Kovno relates in his memoirs of a Jewish soldier, who was conscripted as a cantonist in his childhood and was forcibly baptized in 1853, at the age of 7. The soldier related that only in 1876 was he first granted a furlough to visit his parents. He took that opportunity to seek a blessing from Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who blessed him with a short sentence, and those measured words caused a total upheaval in his soul. After he was released from the Russian army, he returned to the practice of Judaism, much to the chagrin of all his superiors, and all this was due to the lingering holy impact from that visit. This is what the soldier reported to R. Yaakov Lipschitz in 1916 (forty years after that brief visit): "When he approached the rebbe's place, he was filled with a sense of reverence, an awe of the exalted… He felt that he was standing before a spiritual man and tremendous scholar, and with his blessing, he became filled with hope for salvation…". R. Lipschitz notes that this took place in 1876, yet the soldier still vividly remembered every detail and impression of the visit, as if he had just experienced it. Until this day he mentions his meeting with the rebbe of Liadi with awe (Zichron Yaakov, I, pp. 206-207). The writer Alexander Ziskind Rabinovitz (known as Azar; a native of Liadi), devoted several chapters in his memoirs to describing the noble figure of the rebbe as it was engraved in his memory from his childhood.
Rebbe Yitzchak Dov Ber Schneersohn – the Maharid of Liadi (1833-1910) was the only son of Rebbe Chaim Shneur Zalman of Liadi (son of the Tzemach Tzedek). He was the close disciple of his grandfather the Tzemach Tzedek, and received much Torah from him, all of which he recorded in his memory. After his father's passing, he succeeded him as rebbe of Liadi. He was a prolific writer, both in Halachah and Chassidut. Some of his halachic writings were published in Kuntress HaMetzitzah by the Sdei Chemed, as well as in the Yagdil Torah anthologies. His magnum opus was his composition Siddur Maharid (two parts), printed only after his passing, Berditchev 1913. This siddur is an expanded version of Siddur im Dach by the Baal HaTanya (Kopust 1816) published by the Mitteler Rebbe. Siddur Maharid contains a comprehensive Chassidic commentary to the words of the prayer based on the teachings of his father and ancestors. He devoted many years to composing this work, which he saw as his greatest achievement. Brief Chassidic essays he authored were published after his passing in Likutei Maamarim (Poltova 1918).
R. Yehuda Leib Schneersohn was the son of Rebbe Maharid of Liadi, and son-in-law of R. Levi Yitzchak Zalmansohn (son-in-law of the Tzemach Tzedek). He served as rabbi in Homel and Sirotsina. In 1906, he began serving as posek in Vitebsk, where he was amongst the prominent rabbis of the city. He later served as rabbi of Vitebsk under Soviet rule (Vitebsk – Sefer Kehillah, p. 189).