Mishneh Torah L'Ramba"m - Peterburg, 1850 - "Revised" and censored edition by the Russian government and the Maskilim - four of five volumes. This edition was printed with a fake approval on the title page where the names of the great Rabbis - the Tzemach Tzedek, Rabbi Itzaleh of Volozhin and other gdoley HaRabanim who actually expressed their opinion against the printing of the distorted Rambam appear.
On the title pages of all volumes is printed: "נדפס על פי שו"ת רבנינו וסופרינו... הרב המנוח ר"י דוואלשהנא [רבי איצלה מוולוז'ין]... הרב ר' מנחם נ"י דליובאוויטש [האדמו"ר ה"צמח צדק" מליובאוויטש], הרב ר"י האלפערין דק"ק ברדיטשוב [רבי ישראל הלפרין מחותנו של רבי ישראל מרוז'ין]... ". On the page behind the title page is printed : "Published according to government order".
The first half of each volume is in Hebrew, and the second is translated into German. The commentaries "Kessef Mishneh" and "Migdal Oz" are printed in part underneath the Ramba"m's words. The words of the Ramba"m were printed out of order, distorted, convoluted and censored, with many supplements and changes. This edition was edited by the maskil Leon Mandelshtam, per the recommendation of the Maskilim, by order of the Russian government, and opposed by the rabbis mentioned on the title page.
In the summer of 1843 the Russian government summoned Chareidi leaders and activists in Russia to a conference that took place in Peterburg over half a year. The Admo"r the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch was summoned, along with Rabbi Itzeleh of Volozhin, R' Yisrael Halperin of Berdichev and Dr. Max Lilienthal. Over the months of the conference, the Maskilim recommended many reforms regarding how education was conducted, yet these were unequivocally rejected by the Tzemach Tzedek and Rabbi Itzeleh.
One of the recommendations that was raised at the conference was to print an edition of Mishneh Torah L'Ramba"m that would contain a censored compilation of his halachahs alongside a German translation, and to force the "teachers" to purchase this edition and teach it at Talmudei Torah. This recommendation was rejected by the rabbis for various reasons (correspondence of the Tzemach Tzeddek on this topic with Leon Mandelshtam is printed in his Iggerot, 2013 edition, pp. 73-78, 85-89, 91-92). However, this did not deter the Maskilim from printing on the title page:
"Printed according to our rabbis' responsa" nor from listing on it the major opponents of this printing.
About this event and the printing of the book he later wrote Baumgarten: "Most Russian Jews were not interested in this work. It may be that the teachers who were forced to buy this new book never actually used it ... More than arousing opposition, this enterprise by the maskilim aroused indifference ... Even the teachers who received the book at no charge did not bother opening it." (Albert Baumgarten, Tziyon, Year 76, pp 351-352 and in note 51).
Four volumes out of five printed in this edition. Part two is missing. For two of the volumes a leather spine. First part detached cover. The fourth part is missing the leather spine and the cover is detached. third part, the first booklet cover is detached. general condition good.
