Sefer Yesod: Biur HaGra on Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer
First Edition. Vilna-Horodna, 1819
Complete copy of Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer with the Chelkas Mechokek, Beis Shmuel and Be’er Hagolah commentaries, along with the new commentary of Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, the Vilna Gaon.
Biur HaGra was first published by the Vilna Gaon’s grandson Rabbi Yaakov Moshe ben Avraham of Slonim.
Biur HaGra is one of the fundamental sources of halachah, and the Chofetz Chaim consistently rules according to it. He relates in his preface to Mishnah Berurah Vol. 1: "In places where I saw [varying] opinions between two Achronim on a matter, I was not lax in searching through all other Achronim, and particularly in Biur HaGra, for he is the light of Israel and the foundation upon which everything is dependent, and he is worthy of determining the matter.”
Biur HaGra on Shulchan Aruch was authored by the holy hand of the Vilna Gaon (as opposed to being transcribed by his talmidim).
In his unparalleled genius, the Gra presented his commentary in very concise format, and yet, writes his talmid Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, “Though his words are short, they are as stars that appear small, yet the entire world stands beneath them.”
The Gra’s fundamental approach in his commentary was to reveal the sources of the Shulchan Aruch’s rulings in the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin expresses in his preface to Biur HaGra that here the Vilna Gaon established the foundations of his path of study "to mention in the course of learning Shulchan Aruch its source in Shas.”
Several different variants of this sefer are known (see below). The present copy is known as Type C.
Type C is the only one among the three versions that contains the Vilna Gaon’s commentary on Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer in its form known today, and this is how it has been printed in all subsequent editions.
Vilna-Horodna, 1819. First edition of most of the sefer (see details below).
Page count: 4 pages, 5–61 leaves, 188 leaves.
Size: 34 cm. approx. Dozens of handwritten notes in pencil.
Condition: Overall good condition, holes in some pages causing minor damage to a few words. Tears and reinforcements on the title page and a few additional leaves. Signs of use. New binding.
Provenance:
Library of the scholar Israel Ta-Shma
Kedem Auction no. 76 (Auction of sefarim by the Vilna Gaon and his disciples).
Bibliography: Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod no. 169; Winograd, Otzar Sifrei HaGra no. 755; R’ Chaim Lieberman, Ohel Rachel vol. 2, p. 393; R’ Avraham Halevi Shisha, Yeshurun vol. 5, pp. 685–695.
– – – – – –
The Three Variants of the Vilna Gaon’s Commentary on Even HaEzer
Bibliographers have discussed at length the various printings of the Vilna Gaon’s commentary on Even HaEzer and have determined that there are three different variants.
The first stage of printing of this commentary commenced in Horodna in 1812, when the Shulchan Aruch was first printed together with Be’er Hagolah alongside the Biur HaGra only. The first 24 leaves of the sefer were printed in completion, yet the process was then halted.
At the time, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, prime disciple of the Vilna Gaon, determined that the Chelkas Mechokek and Beis Shmuel, whose positions had already been established in prior editions of Shulchan Aruch should be included in the printing, as well (see excerpt from Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin’s letter on title page verso).
Thus, the Chelkas Mechokek and Beis Shmuel were printed separately on the sections already published in 1812. Thereafter, the rest of the sefer was printed uniformly: the text of the Shulchan Aruch appeared in the center of each page, flanked on both sides by the Chelkas Mechokek and Beis Shmuel, while at the bottom of the page appeared the commentary of the Gaon.
The complexities and twists involved in printing this sefer created three distinct types of copies:
Type A contains only the original 24 leaves printed in 1812.
Type B includes the original leaves from 1812, along with additional separate leaves completing the Chelkas Mechokek and Beis Shmuel commentary, printed in 1819, as well as the remainder of the sefer printed in 1819. A copy of this kind was sold at the Zeidy Auction, #3.
Type C (the present one) is a newly printed and corrected version of the first leaves, including the Chelkas Mechokek and Beis Shmuel commentary. Naturally, it also includes the main body of the sefer, that were all printed in 1819. The title page of this version differs from that of Type B.
Thus, Type C is the only variant that contains the entire Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer with the commentary of the Gaon, printed in a uniform and continuous manner. This is the variant that served as the model for all subsequent editions.
