First Edition : Commentary of the Vilna Gaon on Shulchan Aruch(Biuray HaGra)
Orach Chaim ; Sklow, 1803
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim including Magen Avraham and Beer HaGolah, along with a commentary from the Vilna Gaon titled Biur HaGra, published by his sons and his disciple, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Sklov.
Biur HaGra quickly established itself as a classic and prominent Halacha sefer. In his introduction to Mishna Berura, the Chofetz Chaim writes: "In places where I saw [varying] opinions between two achronim on a matter, I was not lax in searching through all other achronim,
and particularly in Biur HaGra. For he is the light of Israel and the foundation upon which everything is dependent, and is worthy of determining the matter."
Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, a disciple of the Vilna Gaon, writes in his introduction to sefer Safra DeTzniusa: "With his holy treatise, he cleared, conquered and lit up the way before us… he did wonders with his explanation on Shulchan Aruch by including all of the many halachos that are mentioned… that he saw in the two Talmuds… He dissected, clarified, cleaned and sifted all of the rishonim’s opinions."
Unlike his other sefarim, Biur HaGra was
written by the Vilna Gaon himself and not by his disciples. The Vilna Gaon wrote the sefer in a very abbreviated manner. Rabbi Chaim Volozhin writes: "Despite his words being short, they are like stars that seem small and yet the whole world stands beneath them."
This first edition was published in Sklov, 1803
Tear on final page lacking text professionally restored. remnants of pasted adhesive still visual .
Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod – Classics No. 169
Winograd, Otzar Sifrei HaGra No. 747
[1], 3, 316, [2] leaves
