Ma’aznei Tzedek, first edition, from the author’s lifetime. Munkatch 1912, with interesting signatures and stamps

Ma’aznei Tzedek, first edition, from the author’s lifetime. Munkatch 1912, with interesting signatures and stamps
Ma’aznei Tzedek on the Torah, by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Shapira, Av Beit Din of Rogomiresht. Cover with red ink, first edition. [2], 86, [2] pages. Old binding, leather spine, light stains, generally good condition.

Important stamps and signatures. Long note on the cover: “…belongs to Yekutiel Yehuda Bergfeld, son of Rabbi the Ga’avahtz of the above community and the Galil” (see below). Additional line which was obviously added later: “son-in-law of the Rav, the author, of Rogomiresht.” Stamp of “Yekutiel Yehuda Bergfeld son of the Ga’avahtz of Nimiza.” Two additional stamps in the local language with the names “Gergfeld Solomon Rabbi.” Page before the cover has long notes that repeat themselves, mentioning that the owner received the book from his father-in-law the author. Additional notes at the end of the book, some in the local language.

The author is Rabbi Menachem Mendel Shapira, son of Rabbi Yeshaya Moshe Metshed. He lived 1863-1940. As the cover mentions, he was a student of the elderly Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Weinberger of Kleinvardin and the Yeitev Lev of Sighet. He was the son-in-law of the gvir Rabbi Yosef Mordechai Kahane of Dargmiresht, and so he moved there. He became rabbi of Galil Dargmiresht in 1911. He published articles in the Aseifat Chachamim—Atinia 1910; Torah MiZion-Jerusalem 1895 and 1905. On the last page he writes that wishes to publish another book called “Hin Tzedek” and indeed, a year later he printed the book in Munkatch with drashot on the Torah.

Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Bergfeld, father of the copy’s owner, was a student of Rabbi Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum in Sighet, and son-in-law of Rabbi Avraham Greenfeld of Vitka. He was the first rabbi of Nimoza. Died in 1915.