Safra. Bucharest, 1860. Unique Edition with the Malbim's Dedication and Signature

Safra. Bucharest, 1860. Unique Edition with the Malbim's Dedication and Signature
Safra Dibei Rav with Peirush HaTorah V'HaMitzvah by Rabbi Meir Leibush Malbim [Bucharest]. [1860]. Unique exemplar from the first edition. Author's dedication and signature.
[3], 14, 233 leaves. two title pages, 29 cm.
Ch. D. Friedberg writes in "Beit Eked Sefarim" [s. 621] that two editions of this book were printed that year. This is the rare edition that is not in the National Library. The Bibliography of the Hebrew Book notes that Friedberg listed two editions [apparently they did not see the second one]. The first title of this copy does not list a place of printing, year or press.
Author's handwritten dedication and signature. Lengthy inscription. Concludes "from the author" with his signature [the binding cropped the edges of the dedication]. Later, a Jew from Czernowitz wrote his name and his mother's name להצלחה [for success], he apparently believed that the book with the signature was a talisman.
Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel, known as "Malbim", was born in the Ukraine in 1809. He was a prominent biblical commentator and served as rabbi in a number of places, including Chief Rabbi of Bucharest. He was a prominent rabbi of his era and passed away in 1879. When he was only 25 years old, he authored his halachic work "Artzot Hachaim" [section one] which received a unique approbation from the Chatam Sofer. The Mishne Berura often quotes him in his work. The Malbim wrote his commentary on the Tanach as part of his battle against the maskilim. His commentary on the Torah and Nach is one of the most significant commentaries written during the last centuries.
New binding. Tiny marginal tear in the title page without loss. Worming holes in a number of leaves at the beginning and conclusion. Fine condition.