Bidspirit auction | Classic: Sefer Sh’arei Yosher –

Classic: Sefer Sh’arei Yosher – Both Parts – Warsaw 1928. First Edition. With Handwritten Dedication by Author. - A complete copy of R. Shimon Shkop’s legendary classic – Sefer Sha’arei Yosher, with a handwritten dedication to his relative. It was the very first work he published, and deals with the various concepts and ideas of “Chazakah”, “Rov” and others. Ever since its publication, it has been known as a fundamental and cherished work in the Yeshiva world.  In 1928 – the year this edition was published – R. Shimon Shkop traveled to America on a fundraising trip. While there, he was offered a senior position in Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, which he accepted. In his absence from Europe however, he was greatly missed and was asked by the Chofetz Chaim and R. Chaim Ozer Grodziensky to return. In 1929, he headed back to Europe. This particular copy printed in 1928 was most probably gifted by R. Shimon while he briefly lived in America. As such, this copy is very unique since it bears witness to a new chapter of R. Shimon’s life while living in America.  R. Shimon Yehuda Shkop (1860-1939), a dynamic Torah scholar and prewar leader of Lithuanian Jewry. During his youth, he attended the Mir and Volozhin Yeshivos, where he studied with R. Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netziv), and was part of a special group of students with whom R. Chaim Soloveitchik interacted. He taught Torah and raised students for over 50 years, many of them becoming major Torah leaders in their own right. Chief among them are R. Elchonon Wasserman of Baronovitch, R. Yisrael Zev Gustman, R. Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman of Ponevezh, R. Shmuel Rozovsky and many others.  Handwritten inscriptions by R. Shimon Shkop are rare and uncommon, especially in a condition such as this.  In very good condition. Paper browned and brittle, typical for imprints of this era. Inner margin of title page repaired with tape, with no loss of text. Minor marginal tears to pp. 3, not affecting text. Two volumes bound in one, with a separate title page for each. Bound in a new, ornate leather binding.  Vol. I: 341, [1] pp. (mispaginated) Vol. II: 306, [1] pp. (mispaginated) Approx. 30cm.