Sefer Chavot Yair HaChadash, Innovations and essays on Agaddah, by Rabbi Elazar Kalir, Av Beit Din of Kelin, author of ‘Or Chadash’ – Prague 1792 – First edition – Glosses and corrections handwritten by the author.
The author, the famous Gaon, Rabbi Elazar Kalir (1738 – Cheshvan 1801), from the great and famous of his generation, served as Av Beit Din and Rosh Yeshiva in Zveldova, Rechnitz (1767-1780) and Kelin (1780-1801). In every place where he served, he stood at the head of a Yeshiva where he raised many disciples. Many of the Morie Hora’ah of his generation were from his distinct disciples, The ‘Noda Bi’yehuda’ appreciated him very much, even though Rabbi Elazar was many years his junior, and in one of his responsa he says of him:
“The great and extreme Gaon, learns and disputes, Light of Israel, the strong hammer, the right column, holy be the glory of his name”. In the Noda Bi’Yehuda’s approbation on Sefer ‘Or Chadash’ on tractate Pesachim he writes regarding Rabbi Elazar’s Chiddushim that they are
“things worthy of one of the Rishonim”! Rabbi Baruch Yetlis, from the sages of Prague, write in the preface to his Sefer “Ta’am Hamelech” regarding Rabbi Elazar’s stature in the countries of central Europe, after the passing of the Noda Bi’yehuda: “And after the death of the Gaon ‘Noda Bi’yehuda’, the Rabbi Elazar, author of ‘Or Chadash’, , a leader to Israel, the one left over for us in our country, to whom our eyes are raised, and for many of the scholars of Prague he is considered master of the place, from whose light we have light”. Authored the Seforim ‘Or Chadash’ on the Torah (Fürth, 1765), ‘Or Chadash’ on tractates Pesachim and Kiddushin, the Sefer here before us ‘Chavot Yair HaChadash’ (Prague 1792), and Responsa ‘Cheker Halacha’ (Vienna 1837).
[6], 138, [2] pp. 21cm. Fair condition. Binding and some of the pages are detached.