Midrash Rabbah al HaTorah – proofread according to the Venice 1545 edition. Leipzig, 1864. There is an essay by the Gr”a known to have discussed the greatness of the Midrash Rabbah. It stated that Sefer HaZohar is the revealed of the hidden, and the midrashim are the concealed of the hidden. This sacred copy belonged to the rabbi of the Land of Israel, the mighty gaon Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, from his youth. The title page bears his signature: “The youth Chaim Sonnenfeld.” (The name ‘Yosef’ was added by the Saraf of Brisk while Rabbi Sonnenfeld was ill in 1885.) The book’s leaves bear approximately 350[!!] revisions and glosses in his hand. The gloss on page 56a is especially noteworthy. Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld writes there “It appears that this means that Avraham himself was also not fit to father children, but after Hashem transplanted him to the Land of Israel, he became a fruit-bearing fruit tree …” The gaon Rabbi Yosef Chaim was known to have had a son while yet in the Diaspora, but the child passed away within a short time. The rest of the gaon Rabbi Yosef Chaim’s children were born when he was already in the Land of Israel. Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld . Provenance: Library of his grandson the gaon Rabbi I”sh Blau, author of Mar’eh Ish . [1], 167, [1]; [1], 112 leaf. 23 cm. Fine condition. Several leaves are in poor-moderate condition, with lacks and coarse adhesions. Aging stains. Wear in the margins of several leaves. Tears in the title page, some taped from the back. Well-preserved antique binding.