First Edition of Biur HaGr"a al Shulchan Aruch Or HaChaim

First Edition of Biur HaGr"a al Shulchan Aruch Or HaChaim

Meginei Eretz - Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim with commentaries and with the Gr"a's elucidations. Shklov, 1803. First edition of Biur HaGr"a on the Shulchan Aruch - the Gr"a's most important halachic work.

The Gr"a's elucidation is printed here for the first time on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, from the Gr"a's manuscript itself, as written on the title page: "From his sacred hand, in his golden tongue." The sefer was brought to print by the Gr"a's sons and by his disciple, the great rabbi, the chacham, sharp and expert, famous for his Torah and fear of Heaven, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov, and Rabbi Yisrael of Shklov, and with the Gr"a's grandson, Rabbi Ya'akov Moshe of Slonim (son of Rabbi Avraham ben HaGr"a).

Lengthy foreword by the Gr"a's sons in which the Gr"a's greatness is described from the day of his birth, along with his wondrous conduct and his study method. He also named the Gr"a's seven disciples, with their connection to him, written in detail: "The first was the gaon Rabbi Chaim ... av beit din of Volozhin ..." "and the second was the gaon Rabbi Shlomo, av beit din of Volkemir ..." "and the third was the pious and modest gaon Rabbi Shlomo Zalman, brother of the above gaon Rabbi Chaim ..." "and the fourth was the great rabbi, expert in Torah and fear of Heaven, the famous Rabbi Sa'adiah ..." "and the fifth was the rabbi of the entire diaspora, Rabbi Shlomo of Toltshin, Maggid Dvarav L'Ya'akov in Vilna ..." "and the sixth was the great rabbi, sharp and expert, the famed Tzvi Hirsch of Semiatin ..., " "And the seventh was the great rabbi, the sharp expert, the famed Rabbi Shlomo of Mohilev ..." Tradition maintains the list of disciples here is in order of their prominence and their closeness to the Gr"a.

Another lengthy and interesting foreword from Menachem Mendel of Shklov appears, an introduction by Rabbi Ya'akov Moshe of Slonim "paternal grandson of the Gaon, the author, " "Introduction by the arranger with rules of the sefer." Rabbi Yisrael of Shklov was the Gr"a's renowned disciple. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin's introduction, in which he explains the Gr"a's method in his elucidation on the Shulchan Aruch, inter alia,  "Although his words are brief, they are like stars that look small yet the entire world lies under them."

Biur HaGr"a al Shulchan Aruch is considered the final word of the poskim and their commentaries collected in the four parts of Shulchan Aruch. The Gr"a completes this period, shaping its image and establishing the basis of halachah for generations. The author of Chazon I"sh writes about him (Kovetz Iggerot Part I,  siman 32): "We relate to the Gr"a in line with Moshe Rabbeinu, Ezra HaSofer, Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, Rav Ashi, the Ramba"m the Gr"a, by whom Torah was revealed ... He is considered as one of the Rishonim, therefore he firmly disagrees with them in several places, as well as disputing the Ri"f and the Ramba"m. His level of Divine inspiration, his piety and the depth of his understanding, toil and expertise, the depth of his study of all the Torah available to us in our days is impossible to describe ... as such it is impossible to be surprised that he disagrees with the Shulchan Aruch." [Refer to the article 'HaShulchan Aruch V'HaGr"a by Bezalel Landau, Machanayim 97, 1965, pp 40-46.]

Vinograd, Sifrei HaGr"a no. 747. Stefansky, Sifrei Yessod 169.

[1], 3, 316, leaf, without the [2] leaves of indices at the end. 35.5 cm. Bluish paper. Some of the title page is in red ink.

Fine condition. Aging stains. Artistic restoration to the margins of the title page, without damage to the text. Artistic restoration to the corners of the first three leaves, without damage to text. Artistic restoration to the corner of the last leaf, with damage to the text.