Sefer
‘Ravid HaZahav’ and Sefer
‘Etzei Levonah’ with the Signature of the Great
Gaon Rabbi David Cohen Zaltsar ZT"L, Rav of Munkacs
Two halachic books with the signature of the great Gaon Rabbi David Cohen Zaltsar ZT"L, Rav of Munkacs, author of Divrei David, and also from his son, the revered Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Cohen Zaltsar ZT"L.
Sefer
Etzei Levonah on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah, by the esteemed Gaon Rabbi Nissan Dummetz Dvinsk ZT"L, printed in Zhitomir in the year 1870. His name appears on the title page:
"Channani, the gracious one, may Hashem bless him, in this holy book David bar R’M [son of Rabbi Michael]
Zaltsar HaKohen, of S’ardah’ali." This signature is from his youth when he lived in S’ardah’ali. There is also a later signature when he had already settled in Munkacs, as well as a signature from his grandson, the esteemed Gaon Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Zalman ZT"L, who served as a rabbi in Kirevowice, the son of Rabbi Meir Zev Zaltsar ZT"L, author of Divrei Meir. He took his grandfather’s place in the Munkacs rabbinate after his passing.
Sefer
Ravid HaZahav on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah and Maseches Chullin, by the esteemed Gaon Rabbi Yehuda Zelki of Stanislaw ZT"L, printed in Lemberg in the year 1801. There are several stamps of the Gaon Rabbi David Zaltsar ZT"L on the title page, frontispiece, and throughout the book. There are also additional signatures, including that of "Yosef Shlomo Zaltsar HaKohen" and "Tzvi Hirsch b’R’ Yisrael ZT"L" with the following note: "I gave this book as a complete gift to my friend Baruch… Tzvi, mentioned above."
Rabbi David Cohen Zaltsar ZT"L, Rav of Munkacs, was born in the year 1842 to Rabbi Michael Cohen in S’ardah’ali. He was a grandson of the Gaon Rabbi David Deitch, Av Beis Din of Ir Chadash, author of Ohel David. He was a student of the Gaon Rabbi Zeikel Pollak ZT"L, Rosh Yeshiva in S’ardah’ali and Baniyhad, a prominent disciple of the Chasam Sofer ZT"L, Rabbi Shimon Friedmann ZT"L, Av Beis Din of Galanta, and Rabbi Menachem Aharon Shapiro ZT"L, Av Beis Din of Ungvar. In 1860, Rabbi Zaltsar married the daughter of Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Zalman Estericher, the Dayan in Munkacs. After his marriage, he continued his studies under the holy Tzadik of Sanz ZT"L and became one of his prominent followers.
In 1870, despite being young, Rabbi Zaltsar was appointed to one of the leading rabbinical positions in the large city of Munkacs. He also managed a large yeshiva there and taught many students. He was known for his powerful sermons, which stirred the hearts of the people to repentance. Some of his sermons are printed in his book Divrei David on the Torah. Rabbi Zaltsar had a special friendship with the holy Derech Teshuva ZT"L, who wrote a glowing approbation for his book Divrei David, in which he wrote:
"And I know and recognize him to be outstanding both in revealed and hidden Torah and Chassidus. He loves all people and draws them near to the Torah with his correct and straightforward words, bringing them to wisdom."
Rabbi David Cohen Zaltsar ZT"L passed away on the 29th of Shevat, 1908.
