The Gemara of Rabban Shel Yisrael, Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger, Zy”a, with His Handwritten "Gilyon HaShas"!
Maseches Rosh Hashana, printed in Frankfurt d’Main, 1720 – throughout this entire volume, Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger, noted glosses, kashyos, and marei mekomos, all in his characteristic subtle style. These annotations, which later gained fame as part of his renowned sefer Gilyon HaShas, were eventually printed on the margins of all Shas volumes.
Over time, the original title page of this Gemara was lost and was replaced with the title page of Maseches Temurah, also from Rabbeinu’s collection.
On this title page, his signature appears prominently twice: "HaKatan Akiva Ginz" (as he signed before he changed his last name to Eiger, after his maternal grandfather, the Gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger, the first, author of Mishnas D’Rebbi Akiva).
A Remarkable Discovery! This Shas volume, with Reb Akiva Eiger’s annotations, reveals an additional work alongside the famous Gilyon HaShas – Rabbeinu also added significant contributions to the
Masores HaShas. The printers of Reb Akiva Eiger’s glosses (from 1830 onwards) did not see the need to print these additions, as a comprehensive
Masores HaShas had already been published by Rabbi Shayeh Pikk Berlin (Dyhernfurth, 1800–1804), including most of the possible references (which were not included in this 1720 volume). Hence,
we have before us a unique addition to the Masores HaShas by Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger, Zy”a.
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It appears that Reb Akiva Eiger would study from multiple volumes of Gemara simultaneously (it’s known that different volumes owned by Reb Akiva Eiger often contain different glosses) with each volume holding unique annotations. It seems that the volume before us, along with additional volumes of Maseches Rosh Hashana, was used by different printers to publish Rabbi Akiva Eiger’s glosses, which were expanded from edition to edition (with significant differences and additions between the first edition, printed in Prague 1830–1835, and the second edition in Vilna 1835–1854, both published during his lifetime). It is likely that Rabbeinu added more glosses between printings.
Reb Akiva Eiger’s glosses have gained worldwide renown, and entire seforim have been authored to understand his subtle hints (see, Rabbi Chaim Dov Shavel, Mishnaso Shel HaGaon Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger, Jerusalem 1959).
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Who will have the Zechiye to hold in their hands the Gemara of the heart of Klal Yisrael, Rabbeinu Akiva Eiger, adorned with his renowned Gilyon HaShas!
