Slavita Shas!
Rabbi Moshe Shapira’s Press
Slavita, 1817-1822
Pristine Full 20-Volume Set!
A treasure trove of excellence and sanctity! Complete 20-volume set of Shas from the famed Slavita Press printed by Rabbi Moshe Shapira.
Four unique elements distinguished the Slavita Shas from its predecessors: The sanctity entailed in its printing, the precise editing and proofreading, the addition of new Mefarshim, and the high-quality and grandeur of the paper and type.
The Slavita Shas was enthusiastically acclaimed by thousands and was the preferred edition of Shas among Admorim, tzaddikim and chassidim throughout Europe and beyond. Chassidic masters praised this edition of Shas and professed that learning from the Slavita Shas is a segulah for successful learning. The day that an Admor or chassid was able to procure a personal set or even one volume of Shas was a personal holiday.
Content: Gemara, Rashi, Tosfos, Ein Mishpat, Ner Mitzvah, Mesores HaShas, Hagahos Rabbi Yeshaya Pik of Berlin, Peirush HaMishnayos L’HaRambam, Piskei Tosafos, Piskei HaRosh (including Maadanei Yom Tov and Pilpula Charifta by the Tosafos Yom Tov), Maharsha, Maharshal and Maharam Lublin.
For the first time in the history of the printing of Talmud, the Slavita Shas included the Rif and its Nosei Keilim, as well as the Mordechai and Tosefta at the end of each Masechta.
This complete set of Shas includes three original title pages for the Rif, the first in Vol. 1 of Maseches Brachos; the second in Vol. 2 of Maseches Yevamos; and the third in Vol. 3 of Maseches Bava Kama.
Description: 38 masechtos (+ Sidrei Zeraim and Taharos); (see detailed list below) 43 title pages, most in red ink; printed on light blue paper. Binding: Bound in 20 separate elaborate new leather bindings. Page Size: 33.5 cm. Condition: Several masechtos were reinforced or restored on title page or other page margins; no damaged or missing text.
Slavita Print
“The town of Slavita gained renown throughout the Jewish world due to the legendary Slavita Press which was founded and personally managed by the righteous Admor Rabbi Moshe Shapira, son of the Admor Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz.
The Baal Hatanya describes the Slavita Press as “The exemplary press which surpasses all other presses in these countries”, while the Admor Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl in his preface to Chumash Ohr Hachaim (Slavita, 1832) praises the Slavita Press for “illuminating the world with the precious sefarim that they print.”
Kedusha veTahara
The Slavita Press designated exclusively for printing sifrei kodesh printed their sefarim with utmost kedusha and tahara, and every sefer was produced with special sanctity, from fashioning the type which was created by the Slavita family ensuring all the work was done by rightous jews with Yiras Shamayim, to taking particular measures of kedusha by immersing the printing plates in a mikveh prior to use.
The Slavita Press printed many sifrei chassidus, Torah library classics, siddurim, machzorim and anthologies of prayer which were unanimously lauded by Chassidic masters throughout the generations.
Slavita Shas
The crowning achievement of the Slavita Press was undoubtedly the printing of the magnificent 20-volume Slavita Shas.
Admorim and tzaddikim throughout the generations extolled the Slavita Shas and would search far and wide to acquire and learn from its sacred volumes. Many expressed that learning a daf from the Slavita Shas is a segulah for success and fear of heaven. (See Mipi Sofrim U’sefarim Vol. 3 p. 447 by Rabbi A.D. Friedman of the Belz community in London; Zechor Yemos Olam Vol. 3 p. 523.)
Rabbi Yitzchak Weiss, Av Beis Din of Verbov and brother of the Shimani Rav, wrote: “The righteous Rabbi Moreinu Harav Moshe Shapira…son of the Admor Moreinu Harav Pinchas of Koritz zy”a, who owned the illustrious Slavita press would print using silver type. On Erev Shabbos after immersing [in the mikveh] he would proofread this Shas that he printed and therefore this Shas is extremely valuable in the eyes of tzaddikim” (Elef Ksav #292).
The Admor Rabbi Shlomo of Bobov related that on the day that his holy grandfather the Admor Rabbi Shlomo of Bobov I was able to purchase a Slavita Shas, he was enveloped in such bliss that he wished to recite the blessing of “Shehechiyanu” on it. Therefore, on the second night of Rosh Hashanah before reciting kiddush, he placed a volume of Gemara on the table so he could include it in his blessing of “Shehechiyanu” upon the festival and new fruit (Pri Hakerem, Bobov, 1999 Issue 15 p. 2).
On the final Simchas Torah of his life, Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin, who was also a descendant of the Admor Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz, instructed his talmidim in Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin to circle the bimah while dancing with volumes of a Slavita Shas (Rabbi Binyamin Mintz, Meir B’Ahavah p. 26).
Endorsements of the Shas
The sefer opens with an endorsement and letter by the Admor Hazakein of Chabad Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the Baal Hatanya, authorizing the printer, the Admor Rabbi Moshe Shapira, to reprint the Shas which had been printed earlier at the Baal Hatanya’s behest during the year 1808 by his brother Mordechai and son-in-law Shalom Shachna.
The approbation states as follows:
“Hashem who desires the growth and expansion of Torah infused a generous spirit in the philanthropists of His nation…the Rabbi and luminary, the renowned genius who is extolled in Torah and fear of heaven, the son of holy progenitors, the honorable Moreinu Harav Moshe, n”y, Av Beis Din of the congregation of Slavita, whose heart desired to give for Hashem and print the Shas Bavli and Arba Turim in his splendid printing press which is superior to all other presses in these lands… with boards that were printed recently by my faithful emissaries…my illustrious brother Moreinu Mordechai n”y and the…venerable late Rabbi Moreinu Harav Shalom Shachna z”l.
Further in the approbation, the Baal Hatanya issues a public ban against printing the Shas for another 25 years, “And it shall be pleasant to those who heed this, and they shall be blessed with all goodness from the Beneficent G-d.”
Preceding this approbation is a public declaration by the printer the Admor Rabbi Moshe Shapira himself who relates that he purchased the printing rights to the Shas from the Admor Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
This present set of Shas also contains approbations by the Admor Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta, author of Ohev Yisrael; the Admor Rabbi Yisrael of Pikov, son of the Kedushas Levi of Berditchev; the Admor Rabbi Mordechai ben Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz, and others. (Maseches Shabbos also contains an approbation by Rabbi Aryeh Leib Katzenellenbogen, Av Beis Din of Brisk.)
List of Masechtos:
- Brachos (1817) [1], 137: 46 leaves (Hilchos HaRif); Mishnayos Seder Zera’im: 70 leaves (with separate title page)
- Shabbos (1817) [1], 189: 92 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Eiruvin (1817) [1], 129, 22: 89-131 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Pesachim (1817) 137, 24: 130-173 leaves (Final Count: Rif); Shekalim (1818), 13 leaves.
- Rosh Hashanah (1818) 40, 5: 206-221 leaves (Final Count: Rif); Yuma (1818) 105, 10:222-230 leaves (Final Count: Rif); Succah (1818) 66, 14: 230-257 leaves
- Beitzah (1818) 50, 9: 182-184 leaves (Final Count: Rif); Megillah (1818), 38 , 6: 257-278 leaves (Final Count: Rif); Chagigah (1818) 28, 6 leaves; Taanis (1818), 36 , 6: 169-182 leaves (Final Count: Rif); Moed Katan (1818) 44, 3 leaves: 278-303 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Yevamos (1818) [1], 144, 24: 64 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Ksubos (1818) [1], 147, 25: [62, 2-] 145 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Gittin (1818) [1], 111, 22: 144-207 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Kiddushin (1819) 96, 19: 206-255 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Nedarim (1818) 102, 7 leaves; Nazir (1818) 68 leaves; Sotah (1818) 51, 8-18 leaves
- Bava Kama (1819) 150, 18: 61 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Bava Metziah (1820) [1], 166, 25: 60-156 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Bava Basra (1820) [1], 217. 36: 155-259 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Sanhedrin (1820) 126, 41: 257-283 leaves (Rif); Horiyos (1821) 17, 2 leaves. Edios, Avos, Masechtos Ketanos (1821) 36, 45 leaves
- Avodah Zara (1820) [1], 99-16:330-378 leaves (Final Count: Rif); Makkos (1820) [1], 27, 6: 282-287 leaves (Final Count: Rif); Shvuos (1820) 60, 9, 287-331 leaves (Final Count: Rif)
- Zevachim (1821) 126 leaves; Menachos (1821) [1], 117: 63-88 leaves (Halachos Ketanos LaRosh)
- Chulin (1822) [1], 214, 32: 255-380 leaves (Final Count: Rif, Shaarei Shvuos L’Rabbi Yitzchak ben Rabbi Reuven; Maftechos HaRif according to the order of the Rambam by Rabbi Yehoshua Boaz, author of Shiltei Giborim)
- Bechoros (1821) 80: 7 leaves; Erchin:37 leaves; Temurah: 35 leaves; Krisus: 30 leaves; Meilah, Kinim, Tamid, Middos: 42+ [2] leaves of charts with illustration of the Beis Hamikdash
- Niddah (1822) 106, 17 leaves; Mishnayos Seder Taharos (1821) 171 leaves (with separate title page)
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