Ritva and Ramban Novellae – Many Signatures of Rabbi Eliyahu Baruch Kamai, from his Youth

Ritva novellae on Tractate Rosh Hashana. [Königsberg, 1858]. Bound with: Otzar Nechmad, novellae of the Ramban on Tractate Shabbat. Pressburg, [1837]. With an approbation by the Chatam Sofer. Many signatures on the endpapers, on the title page and on the leaves of the book in the handwriting of Rabbi Eliyahu Baruch son of Rabbi Avraham Kamai from his early years in the city of Skuodas. With few scholarly glosses in his handwriting. Rabbi Eliyahu Baruch Kamai (1844-1917) was a prominent Torah scholar of his times, born in the city of Telz. His father, Rabbi Avraham, died when he was six years old. His mother remarried Rabbi Chaim Ze'ev Wolf Av Beit Din of Skuodas. At the age of 18, he married his stepsister and remained in her father's home in Skuodas and was renowned for his diligence, proficiency and cleverness in Torah study. In 1868, his father-in-law died and Rabbi Eliyahu Baruch succeeded him as Av Beit Din of Skuodas, a position he held for ten years. He later served in the rabbinate of several Lithuanian cities and was appointed Rabbi of the city of Mir and head of the Mir Yeshiva in 1899. He taught many disciples and his Torah novellae were accepted all over the Lithuanian Torah world. His successor was his son-in-law, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel (1879-1965), the head of the Mir Yeshiva in Lithuania and later in Jerusalem. These signatures are evidently from the time of his youth, before 1868 [since he signs some of them "From the community of Skuodas"]. [3], 2-51 leaves; [2], 2-64 leaves. 22 cm. Good-fair condition, wear, worming. Fabric and leather binding, ancient and worn.