Babylonian Talmud Tractate Nidah and Mishnayot Seder Taharot. Vienna, 1811. First edition of the Vilna Gaon's glosses on the Talmud.
At the top of the title page is the signature of the author of Minchat Chinuch, Rabbi "Yosef Babad of Sniatyn". On the last leaf are various ownership inscriptions that the book belongs to "Rabbi Yosef Babad Rabbi of Sniatyn" and another inscription that the "Talmud (Tractate) Nidah belongs to …Rabbi David Babad Rabbi of Probezhna" and a handwritten inscription of a draft for a wedding invitation. Few handwritten marginalia of corrections.
Rabbi Yosef Babad (1801-1879), son of Rabbi Moshe Babad Av Beit Din of Pshevarsk. Grandson and disciple of Rabbi Yehoshua Babad Av Beit din of Ternopil, author of Sefer Yehoshua and son-in-law of Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Halberstam Av Beit Din of Tarnogród. He was the study partner of his great brother-in-law Rebbe Chaim Halberstam, author of Divrei Chaim of Sanz. From a young age, he was well-known for his genius and his sharp intelligence and before he reached the age of 30, he was renowned as a leading rabbi of his times. He served in the rabbinates of Husakiv and Zaverezh'ye. In 1842, he was appointed Av Beit Din of Sniatyn and in 1857 he moved to serve in the Ternopil rabbinate, following in the footsteps of his illustrious grandfather Rabbi Yehoshua Babad.
His Torah novellae became famous during his lifetime by hearsay and questions and clever witty arguments are brought in the name of the Rabbi of Sniatyn in books authored by Torah scholars of his times. In the Sho'el U'Meshiv responsa, the Rabbi of Sniatyn is mentioned many times. Yet his primary teachings were transferred throughout the generations in his great book Minchat Chinuch about the 613 mitzvot explained by the Sefer HaChinuch. This book was published anonymously in 1869 as is written on the title page: “…This is an extensive commentary on Sefer HaChinuch written with tremendous 'pilpul' and amazing erudition…authored by one of the most outstanding Torah geniuses of our times, holy and pure. In his great humility, he concealed his name...". The publisher revealed the name of the author only in the second 1889 Lemberg edition, 10 years after Rabbi Babad died.
Minchat Chinuch eventually became one of the basic books of erudite and in-depth study in all the Batei Midrash throughout Galicia and Poland, Lithuania and Hungary, and the entire Diaspora until today. Throughout the years, thousands of copies in dozens of editions were printed, notwithstanding the dozens of books written about his explanations and questions.
Beside his Torah stature, he was also famous as a sacred pure servant of G-d [the author of Sho'el U'Meshiv writes in his eulogy that he never looked beyond his four cubits"]. He was close to the courts of Chassidic leaders. He stayed for a while near Rabbi Naftali of Ropczyce [who is reported to have told Rabbi Yosef to return home because his service of G-d is by diligent study of Torah]. Until the end of his days, Rabbi Yosef called Rabbi Naftali of Ropczyce his rebbe. Rabbi Babad wore white attire like Chassidim in his days and sometimes also received "kvitlach" and gave advice and blessings for salvation and cures.
His son Rabbi David Babad, [who apparently received the book as an inheritance from his eminent father] served as Av Beit Din of Probezhna before 1854. He thereafter moved to serve as Ra'avad in Sniatyn. In 1888, he ascended to Eretz Israel and served as Rabbi of Safed until c. 1894.
[9], 2-89 leaves; 199 leaves. 40 cm. Thick soft paper. Good-fair condition, much wear with drippings of candlewax. Ancient stamps from Safed synagogues. Old, non original binding.
Enclosed is an expert's authorization identifying the handwriting of the signature as identical to his handwriting found elsewhere.