Large Leaf from a Responsa Notebook of Rabbi Akiva Eiger – Entirely in His Handwriting

Large leaf from a responsa notebook of R. Akiva Eiger – in his handwriting.
Large leaf, two columns per page, in R. Akiva Eiger's distinctive handwriting. This leaf contains over 160 lines in his handwriting.
Most of the contents of this leaf were published, some in different wording or context (see further in Hebrew description), but the last paragraph, regarding the Tosafot in Tractate Sukkah leaf 11, beginning with the words "I did not merit to plumb the depth on their holy words" and ending with "and this requires in-depth study" – was to the best of our knowledge never published.
The entire leaf is handwritten by R. Akiva Eiger, with inscriptions and marks in a different handwriting beside the text and between the lines. Most of the inscriptions were presumably noted by the sons of R. Akiva Eiger while preparing for print Part I of his responsa. This part was published in 1835 under the direct instruction of R. Akiva Eiger himself.
In two instances, the signature "Akiva" was added – for editing purposes, but these additions are presumably not in his handwriting. This leaf reveals the process the writings of R. Akiva Eiger underwent in preparation for publishing (see Hebrew description).
R. Akiva Eiger (1761-1837) was an eminent Torah scholar in his times, born in Eisenstadt to R. Moshe Güns and his mother - daughter of the first R. Akiva Eiger (Rabbi of Pressburg, author of Mishnat D'Rabbi Akiva). Before he reached bar-mitzvah age, he studied in the Breslau yeshiva under the tutelage of his uncle and teacher R. Binyamin Wolf Eiger and at the age of fifteen, already began delivering Torah lectures. After his marriage in 1778, he moved to Leszno (Lissa) to the home of his father-in-law R. Itzek Margolies. In spite of his young age, he was regarded as one of the leading scholars of the city which was the hub of Torah study at that time.
In 1792, he was appointed rabbi of Märkisch Friedland (Mirosławiec) and established a yeshiva there. In 1815, he began his 23-year tenure as rabbi of Posen (Poznań) until his death in 1837. In Posen as well, he founded a yeshiva and taught many disciples. He was a holy person with Divine Inspiration, though supremely humble and gracious, he knew how to insist upon the honor due to the Torah and the rabbinate. He issued numerous regulations and established many public institutions. He replied to the thousands of questions addressed to him from around the world and recorded many novellae.
His descendants were also leading Torah scholars: R. Shlomo Eiger (1786-1852), one of Warsaw's most influential Jews and his father's successor in the Posen rabbinate, author of Gilyon Maharsha and other books; R. Avraham Eiger of Rawicz who edited his father's writings (with his own additions signed "A.A.B.H.H." - acronym of the Hebrew "Amar Avraham ben HaRav HaMechaber" [Avraham, son of the author says]); his renowned son-in-law R. Moshe Sofer, the Chatam Sofer, who after the death of his first wife, wed the daughter of R. Akiva Eiger (Rebbetzin Sorel, who bore him R. Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Wolf, the Ktav Sofer, and R. Shimon Sofer, Rabbi of Kraków).
R. Akiva Eiger devoted his entire life to Torah study and was known for his amazing proficiency and deep interpretations which became basic tenets of Torah learning until our times. His books and novellae are key Torah texts for yeshiva students and poskim alike. R. Elazar Menachem Shach, author of Avi Ezri, writes in his approbation to the book Pote'ach She'arim - Some of the Torah Teachings of R. Akiva Eiger (Jerusalem, 1985) "For us, R. Akiva Eiger, his opinions and reasoning are as conclusive as one of the Rishonim…".
His works include: Responsa of R. Akiva Eiger, published by his sons in his lifetime, under his instruction. After his demise, his sons continued publishing his novellae in Drush VeChiddush, and additional parts of his responsa series. They also printed Gilyon HaShas, glosses (printed in his lifetime in the Prague and Vilna editions of the Talmud), his glosses on Shulchan Aruch and Tosefot R. Akiva on the Mishna. Additional responsa and novellae from manuscripts are being printed until this day (such as the books Kushiot Atzumot, Ketav VeChotam, Michtavei R. Akiva Eiger and others). His various books were reprinted in many editions, some revised and expanded, with the addition of selections of his Torah teachings from other sources, which are "meager in one place and prolific in another".
[1] leaf, [2] pages. 35 cm. Good condition. Stains.
The sections contained in this leaf were published, with several variations, in Responsa of R. Akiva Eiger Part I, sections 1, 16 and 135; and in Osef Genazim section 8; apart from one passage which to the best of our knowledge is hitherto unpublished.