Thick autograph with over 600 pages of dense writing in the hand of Rabbi Ya’akov Segal, Av Beit Din of Bodki, author of Toldot Ya’akov . The manuscript is comprised of never-printed (except [few] passages on Tractate Berachot that were printed in Toldot Ya’akov, Bialystock 1806) sharp Talmudic novellae on halachah and aggadah, and novellae on the Torah portions and saying of or Sages.
The author mentions novellae in his manuscript in the names of Lithuanian rabbis, some of whom are unknown from other sources.
He cites his father (430a; 698a and more),
And his grandfather, Mahar”i Segal (refer to pages 515b, 545b, 556a, 620b)
And his son, Rabbi Moshe (430b, 506a)
And other rabbinic leaders of Lithuania such as the GR”A (see below).
The expert rabbi Mordechai of Wisoki (429a)
Rabbi Yehoshua z”l of Mezeritch, who was known as R’ Yehoshua Marewitziker
Rabbi Tz. Kretinge (443a)
The famous expert Rabbi Yosef of Horodna, known as R’ Yossel Tzives (508a)
The expert Rabbi Yisrael of Tiktin (646a)
The rabbi and gaon, the Av Beit Din of Wolkowski (693a) and more
On page 411a, he mentions his work “Yashresh Ya’akov, ” which has not been printed.
The writer’s identity was clarified using many proofs from the body of the manuscript: Several of the novellae on Tractate Berachot here are found in his book mentioned above, for example, on leaf 714, he writes “Refer to my book ד’ (he refers to his books and compilations using letters) where I commented in the name of the gaon, the famous Rabbi Eliyahu z”l of Vilna, ” and according to this, he also interprets a hymn for a yotzer for Rosh HaShanah, and these words are indeed found in the book Toldot Ya’akov Berachot leaf 4. Here he cites novellae from his grandfather, the above-mentioned Mahar”i, and his grandfather, the famous gaon Rabbi Moshe Mendlish (see 429b) and he writes (on page 439b) that he is a scion of the Ta”z. All these details match what is written in his above-mentioned book.
The gaon Rabbi Ya’akov Segal Av Beit Din of Bodki was a son of Rabbi Avraham Av Beit Din of Orle, son of the gaon Rabbi Ya’akov Segal, Av Beit Din of Birzhi, Bodki and Pappenheim and so forth. Rabbinic leaders, in their approbation to his book, write wondrous descriptions of him. For example, the gaon Rabbi Eliezer HaLevi, Av Beit Din of Horodno (Grodno) writes about him: “The rabbi, the great light … the son is like his sharp and famous father and grandfather.” The gaon Rabbi Ze’ev Wolf of Chechanowski writes about him “Great man, sanctified and ascetic … the great light.” The gaon Rabbi Meir Margaliot, author of Meor Netivim in his approbation to the above-mentioned book from 1780, calls the author “sharp and honed.” And he is likewise mentioned with praises in the approbations from the other rabbis. More details about his father and grandfather can be found in the title page of his book Toldot Ya’akov and he also cites their Torah thoughts in this manuscript.
Over 600 pages of dense writing, marked 405-732. 22×17 cm.
Moderate-fine condition. The first and last leaves contain tears, the remainder are complete. Aging stains and dog-ears. Not bound (remnants of the original leather binding).
