Sefer Merkavat HaMishna – First Edition – Inscriptions and Signatures

Sefer Merkavat HaMishna – First Edition – Inscriptions and Signatures
Sefer Merkavat HaMishna, Chiddushim on the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, with pamphlet Brachot BeCheshbon and Kontres Acharon, by Rabbi Shlomo of Chelma. Frankfurt am der Oder, [1750]. First edition.
At end of preface curly Oriental signature: “Avraham son of Rabbi Avigdor” – Rabbi Avraham Avigdor Chief Av Beit Din of Constantinople, author of "Zchor Le’Avraham". Title page contains personal inscription in his handwriting: “Kislev… and he sent me the book which he authored as well as Sefer Asarah Shulchanot…”. Additional stamps and signatures: Rabbi Avraham Ezriel; Rabbi Eliezer Eliyahu [son of Rabbi Nachum] Wallenstein and others.
Author of the book, the Ga’on Rabbi Shlomo of Chelma – Chełm (1716-1781), among famous geniuses of Poland; in 1779 passed through Turkey on his way to Eretz Israel. He was delayed in Constantinople and Izmir for a while and formed a close connection with rabbis of the area. Several months after arriving in Eretz Israel he was forced to leave; he arrived in Saloniki together with his family and began preparing his second section of his book Merkavat HaMishna for print, however he perished upon the outbreak of a plague in the city.
38, 37-49, 52-128; 18 leaves. 30 cm. Good condition. Stains and tears, minor moth marks on inner margins, several detached leaves. Lower margins cut off on border of text. Detached worn binding.