The Personal Gemara of the Rogatchover Gaon – With 400 Long Handwritten Chiddushim!
Gmoro Maseches Makkos
with over 400 long handwritten glosses chiddushim from Rabbeinu Yosef Rozin, the Gaon of Dvinsk—all in his ksav yad kodesh!
This historic gemara, printed in Kapust 1834, was rescued from war-torn Dvinsk and sent to America during the war by the RogaTchover’s daughter.
At the back of this volume is Rambam’s Peirush HaMishnayos, also filled with the RogaTchover’s lengthy hagahos—as is well known, Rambam’s words burned within him like fiery coals, and he once remarked:
"Since the chasimas haShas, thousands of geonim have emerged—but only two truly grasped the depth of the Shas: the Rambam and the Alter Rebbe."
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A Testament to Survival – The RogaTchover’s Kovim Rescued from the Flames
After the RogaTchover’s petirah on 11 Adar 5696 (1936), his only daughter, Rebbetzin Rachel Citron, a”h, traveled from Eretz Yisroel to Dvinsk to rescue her father’s ksovim. Despite the danger, and even after World War II broke out in 5699 (1939), she persisted in this avodas hakodesh, and in 5700 (1940), the first volume of Shu”t Tzafnas Paneach was published.
In the hakdama, she writes:
"This is my only consolation—I have tried to fulfill the will of my saintly father, the Sar HaTorah, ztz”l, to bring all his sefarim, teshuvos, and ksovim to light."
Sacrificing Everything to Save the Torah of the RogaTchover
These were the dark days of the war—the Nazis had already conquered Poland, and it was clear that Dvinsk’s Yidden were facing imminent danger. Rebbetzin Rachel, together with the RogaTchover’s talmid, Rav Yisroel Alter Fuks, began gathering the ksovim and photographing them to send to America. To avoid suspicion, they sent small batches pf pictures every two weeks. Among the few items they managed to smuggle out was the only Gmoro Maseches Makkos.
In Sivan 5701 (1941), Dvinsk fell to the Nazis, and Rebbetzin Rachel and Rav Fuchs were murdered al kiddush Hashem, hy”d.
Before us are the holy pages of Maseches Makkos and the Perush HaMishnayos, upon which the great Gaon Ragatshever wrote his chidushim – and for which his daughter and talmid literally gave their lives to preserve!
