LOT 12:
Drush V'Chiddush by Rabbi Akiva Eiger. Warsaw, 1839. First Edition
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Drush V'Chiddush by Rabbi Akiva Eiger. Warsaw, 1839. First Edition
Drush V'Chiddush by Rabbi Akiva Eiger. Warsaw, 1839. First edition of the fundamental work. On the title page: Rabbinic owner's signature of Rabbi Michael Tzvi Zemter, Rabbi of Schwersenz, and an index for the Ktavim section on the back flyleaf, in antique rabbinic script.
The book was printed by the author's sons less than two years after Rabbi Akiva Eiger's passing. The year of print works out from the words משמת רבי עקיבא... In the important introduction, the author's sons write about their father's study method. The title page reads: "Part II, " yet it is actually the first part, and the intent here is that it is the second part of Teshuvot Rabbi Akiva Eiger, which was printed four years previously.
This book is one of the most renowned deep and scholarly books, since printed in dozens of editions; it has become a symbol of scholarly genius. Drush V'Chiddush is known for its sharpness and extremely logical scholarly challenges. Its challenges/difficulties [קושיות] became a byword in study halls and present thought-challenges to the best scholars. The gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger even "rates" the level of severity of the challenges with his choice of terminology: When he writes "וצ"ע" [this needs further study], this indicates a severe difficulty that has not been solved. The abbreviation "וצע"ג" [this needs in-depth further study] expresses great astonishment, beyond the standard. When he adds a sign off such as "וה' יאיר עיני" [May Hashem enlighten my eyes], the difficulty is considered unresolvable. After only about 40 years following this first publication of Drush V'Chiddush, Rabbi Akiva Eiger's challenges spread widely among the study halls and constituted the basis of a Torah composition that primarily deals with solving these problems. Rabbi Yissachar Dov of Lobrantz published his book Chazot Kashot "full of solutions to more than a thousand Talmudic difficulties raised by Rabbi Akiva Eiger ... wonder of the generation and glory of the Jewish people ... in his book Drush V'Chiddush."
44; 38; 13 leaves, 31.5 cm. Stefansky, Sifrei Yessod 81.
Fine-very fine condition: Aging stains. Isolated worming perforations.