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Judaica and Hasidic Books and Manuscripts

Lot 67:

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Rare 1903 Vilna Printing of Sefer Eikev Rav (Zohar HaChokmah) – Rabbi Akiva Beirachovich

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Description

An important and deeply analytical early 20th-century Lithuanian rabbinic treatise blending homiletics, Talmudic exegesis, and ethical philosophy, printed in the capital of Hebrew typography.

  • Title: Sefer Eikev Rav (ספר עקב רב) – Subtitled: Zohar HaChokmah (זהר החכמה / The Abundance of the Grandeur of Wisdom).
  • Author: Authored by the prominent scholar and halachic authority Rabbi Akiva ben R’ Yitzchak Eliyahu Beirachovich (עקיבא בן לאא"ה הרב הישיש המופלג מוה"רר יצחק אליהו נ"י למשפחת בייראכאוויץ), who served as the Av Beit Din (Chief Rabbi) of Krasnopol (קראסנאפאל; Suwałki Governorate / Plotzk region).
  • Structure & Content: Divided systematically into three core intellectual sections:
    1. A profound analytical commentary expanding upon the Aggadic (homiletic) allegories of the Sages.
    2. Advanced rabbinic discourses (Derashot) bridging halachic logic with ethical Mussar concepts.
    3. An extensive addendum featuring original novellae on the Torah, Talmud, and associated responsa.
  • Publication Details: Printed in the historic city of Vilna (ווילנא) in the Hebrew year תרס"ג (1903) by the highly esteemed printing house of Shraga Feivel Garber. The title page features parallel Cyrillic metadata (СЕФЕРЪ ЭЙКЕВЪ РОБЪ / Соч. Раввина Акива Бейраховича) and bears a historic purple rabbinic ownership stamp on the lower margin.
  • Notable Connection: Rabbi Beirachovich’s works are highly regarded for their seamless integration of pure, logical Lithuanian Talmudic analysis with deep, classic homiletics. Pristine primary examples from the pre-war Garber press in Vilna are increasingly scarce, offering an attractive opportunity for bibliographers and collectors of Eastern European rabbinica.

Condition report:

Status: Antique Survival / Study Copy (Requiring Careful Handling).


Binding: Both the front and rear original marbled paper boards are completely detached from the text block spine matrix. The binding elements are currently held temporarily and securely together via a functional rubber band. The cloth backstrip/spine backing is entirely perished.

Interior: The paper block is complete. However, the inner leaves exhibit advanced, heavy natural age-browning and are highly brittle ("brittle paper"). Pages must be turned with care as the paper matrix is prone to chipping or tearing along the outer margins. The typography remains dark, bold, and fully legible throughout.