The Chayei Adam’s Signature on His Personal Sefer Hatishbi by the Grammarian Rav Eliyahu Bachur – Basel 1601
The Sefer Hatishbi explains and translates 712 rare words in Chazal that aren’t properly understood, by Rav Eliyahu Bachur Ashkenazy, one of the greatest grammarians and scholars of the Mesorah.
On the title page is a rare signature of Rabbi Avraham Danzig, the author of the Chayei Adam: "Hashem gave me this, Avraham Danzig, …, 17 Sivan, 5539.”
The Gaon Rabbi Avraham Danzig (1748-1823) is famed for his works Chayei Adam and Chachmas Adam, which already became famous in his lifetime, and are a considered one of the basic works in halachah.
As his colleague Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin wrote, "He has been helped from Above … his work Chayei Adam has been accepted throughout the Jewish world."
The Mishnah Berurah, in dozens of places, rules according to the Chayei Adam where there is a dispute among the poskim.
The Ponovezher Rav attested that the Chafetz Chaim would term somebody who acts according to halachah, “A Chayei Adam Jew!” (Rabbi Mefonoviz 18 p. na)
His Tefillah Zakah prayer has been accepted by many to be recited before Kol Nidrei.
The gedolim over the generations greatly esteemed the Sefer Hatishbi, with the Yaavetz writing that it is “the key for every Hebrew person, ” and the Vilna Gaon "was inclined in grammar after Rabbi Eliyahu Bachur" (Tosafos Maaseh Rav page 14b).
The Yaavetz and Rabbi Yeshaya Pick of Berlin wrote long glosses on this book.
On the back page is a colophon with a nice illustration.
R
av Eliyahu HaLevi Ashkenazi (1469-1549), also known as Rav Eliyahu Bachur, was one of the greatest grammarians and experts of the Mesorah. He compiled several books on these subjects, but the most well-known is the Sefer Hatishbi, which was reprinted many times.
Basil 1601 second edition. Pages: 99, [1]. Size: 20 cm. Good condition. spots. Markings in ink on some pages. A small tear in the margin of the last page with paper completion (no damage to the text).
On page 13 there is a handwritten note and next to it an interesting entry in a different script.
