Volume with two books of the Gra’s commentary: Michtav Eliyahu on the Song of Songs and Chabakuk, first edition ...

Volume with two books of the Gra’s commentary: Michtav Eliyahu on the Song of Songs and Chabakuk, first edition, bound together with Sefer Tanna Devei Eliyahu on Proverbs, early edition—Prague 1811/1814.

Volume includes two books of the Gra’s commentary on Nach: 1. Michtav Eliyahu, the Gra’s commentary on Song of Songs and Chabakuk. First edition, Prague 1811. Partially missing copy: missing cover and first two pages, not from the body of the work, as well as 4 pages from the end of the book with chiddushim of the author. 20 pages. Tears on the two first pages (missing text), and slight tears on more pages. 2. Tanna Devei Eliyahu, on Mishlei, with exegesis from the Gra. Early edition, first bearing this title. Prague 1815. Endorsement of important rabbis, printed during their lifetime. Among them Rabbi Mordechai Bennett and the Chatam Sofer. Two covers, 73 pages. This copy has another five pages with names of subscribers/donors, which doesn’t appear in the page numbering of the National Library. Tears on the first cover, which damage the text, long tear (no missing text) on one page. Signs of moisture at the bottom of some pages, slight stains, binding detached, tears on the spine, otherwise generally good condition. Blank front page includes the inscription: “from the books of Dov Sternbuch Gateshead.” Note and gloss in the body of the book.

Rabbi Dov Sternbuch of Gateshead and Bnei Brak was the son of Rabbi Asher of London, a descendent of the Gra. He was a huge talmid chacham who knew the Shas by heart. He was close with many sages, and was a student of the Gra”a Dessler. He had a special relationship with Maran Rabbi Haim Kanievsky, who forbid him from asking those at his beit midrash not to stand in his honor. He was brother of the Ra’avad of Antwerp, Rabbi Eliyahu Sternbuch, and the Ra’avad of the Charedi community, Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch. Died in 1990 when he was on his way to Minchah, aged 96.