The copy of Gedolei Yisrael – Shu"t Maharam Galanti Venice 1608 – with
the signature and annotations of the Boruch Ta’am and more
Sefer Shu"t Maharm Galanti, written by Rabbi Moshe Galanti of Tzfas, distinguished student of R. Yosef Karo, and received smichah from him.
Venice 1608. First Edition.
The title page has the following description:
I bought this from the estate of Ha’Rav Ztza"l, Ha’K Boruch Teumim. (eraser marks on the signature removed by an expert). Rabbi Baruch Frankel Teumin of Leipnik, author of the sefer Boruch Ta’am. There are also three handwritten annotations in the sefer by him.
Likewise, there is a signature "Ha’Tzair Avigdor of Chenchin".
This is the signature of Rabbi Avigdor Margulies-Auerbach AB”D Chentchin, the uncle of the Noda B’Yehuda, and one of the Gedolim of his generation.
It seems like the
Baruch Taam purchased the Sefer from the estate of Rabbi Naftali Hirsh Margulies-Landau, son of Rabbi Avigdor, who passed away in 1778 and held the Rabbinic post of Vishnitza until his passing. The ‘Boruch Ta’am took over the Rabbinical Post there in 1779, after his marriage to the daughter of Rabbi Yehuda the ‘Parnes’ of Vishiznitza. It is, therefore, understandable why he titled him ‘Ha’Rav zatza"l’.
In the Sefer Ha’Gilyonos of the Boruch Ta’am (published by Machon Zichron Aharon 2022), which is a collection of annotations on over eighty seforim of the Boruch Ta’am, there is no mention of the glosses of the sefer Shu"t Mahara"m Galanti.
These annotations have yet to be printed!
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Gaon and Kadosh Rabbi Boruch Frankel Teumim of Leipnik (1760-1828) was one of the giants of his generation. He was known as a genius and famous for his sharp mind. He wrote extensively, and his glosses can be found in the book margins of his seforim. He studied with his father, Ha’Gaon Rabbi Yehoshua Yechezkel Feivel Teumim of Ostrovah and Ha’Gaon Rabbi Leiber Charif RAB”D Cracow and under Rabbi Dovid Tebli of Lisa. At the age of nineteen, he was appointed as AB”D in Vishinitza. After the passing of Ha’Gaon Rabbi Binyomin Wolf Eiger, he was appointed as AB”D in Leipnik, a position that he kept for thirty years.
The Chasam Sofer testified that he could have revived the Torah with his genius had others forgotten it. He also eulogized him as "Gaon Yisrael, Baruch Ta’amoi, Mofes Ha’dor… who taught Torah with sharpness and proficiency. None of his students was able to comprehend the depths of his teachings…"
His famous son-in-law, The Divrei Chaim of Sanz zy"a, was his prime disciple and edited his sefer, the Boruch Ta’am. The Sanzer Rebbe wrote in his preface: In the almost one year that I lived with him. He taught me most of Shas with the perushim of the Rishonim, and he kept on teaching me wonderous lessons with his pilpulim… He taught me some of his pilpul and his way of learning, and from these lessons, I will write about in the sefer….
He wrote many seforim: Boruch Ta’am, Ateres Chachomim, Marganisa D’Rav, Boruch Sh’amar, and others that were either lost or not published.
The renowned Gaon Rabbi Avigdor Margulies (Auerbach) AB”D Chentchin was one of the greatest poskim in his generation. He was the uncle of the Noda B’Yehuda. His father was Ha’Gaon Rabbi Menachem Mendel AB”D Kartshin, a student of the Ba"ch (Rabbi Yoel Sirkis) and author of Ateres Zekanim, one of the most famous commentaries on the Aruch Chaim. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Landau of Apta, the grandfather of the Noda B’Yehuda. His sons were Ha’Gaon Rabbi Naftali Hirtz AB”D Vishnitza, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch of Aptashna AB”D of Hilsheim, Rabbi Yosef AB”D of Tarnigrad, author of the sefer Tavnis Ois Yosef (see more Elef Margulies p. 16).
