Commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Megillat Esther / Yalkut Avanim – Jerusalem, 1872-1875

Commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Megillat Esther / Yalkut Avanim – Jerusalem, 1872-1875
Two books of the teachings of the Gaon of Vilna, printed in Jerusalem, compiled and edited by R. Tzvi Hirsh Perlman:
1. Megillat Esther, with a commentary by the Gaon of Vilna. Jerusalem: Yoel Moshe son of R. M. [Salomon], 1872.
The commentary of the Gaon of Vilna on Megillat Esther was already mentioned in the foreword of the sons of the Gaon of Vilna to Perush al Kama Aggadot (Vilna, 1800). The composition was first published in Berlin in 1856, anonymously (see previous item). In the present edition, only the Peshat commentary was printed, and it is the prototype of all future editions.
13 leaves. Approx. 21 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor marginal tears to several leaves. Minor worming. New binding.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 127; Sh. HaLevy, no. 177.
2. Yalkut Avanim, selections from the writings of the Gaon of Vilna and from unpublished manuscripts of his disciples, by R. Tzvi Hirsh Perlman. Jerusalem: Nissan Bak and his grandson Chaim Tzvi, [1875]. First edition.
Printed in the margins: Even HaTaamim – a brief summary of each paragraph. This book was later printed under various titles: Yad Eliyahu, Kol Eliyahu, and Niflaot Eliyahu. Even HaTaamim was omitted from subsequent editions of the book.
[4], 30 leaves. 21.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including marginal dark stains, primarily at beginning of book. Minor marginal tears and damage to some leaves. Signatures, glosses and handwritten markings. New binding.
The publisher, R. Tzvi Hirsh Perlman of Kalushin was a Torah scholar of Jerusalem and a disciple of the Imrei Binah – R. Meir Auerbach. He published several books of teachings of the Gaon of Vilna.
R. Tzvi Hirsh arranged the commentary of the Gaon of Vilna based on several reliable manuscripts which he found in Jerusalem. In his foreword, he writes: "I merited to obtain 3 accurate transcripts… one from the late R. Tuviah, grandson of the Gaon of Vilna, publisher of Shir HaShirim by the Gaon of Vilna, and the second from R… Yitzchak HaKohen of Kolna [author of Toldot Yitzchak, see item 121], and the third from R… Shachna of Skidel, expert sofer [regarding the manuscript of R. Shachna Yellin of Skidel and Jerusalem, see item 56].
Yalkut Avanim is comprised of selections from the writings of the Gaon of Vilna and his disciples, compiled by R. Tzvi Hirsh. In his lengthy foreword, he recounts his experiences living in Jerusalem.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 910; Sh. HaLevy, no. 239.
• Enclosed: Kol Eliyahu by the Gaon of Vilna, compiled by R. Tzvi Hirsh [Perlman]. Piotrkow, [stereotype edition of the Warsaw 1896 edition]. This is actually the book Yalkut Avanim, printed under a different title (the page headings state Yalkut Avanim).
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 914 (Vinograd estimates the year of printing as 1920).
Provenance: The Yeshayahu Vinograd Collection, Jerusalem.