“The wondrous gaon and the reish metivta Rabbi Moshe Kazis … this gedol b’Yisrael is welcome in every synagogue and study hall of our days, in the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and courage, the spirit of knowledge and Divine reverence; he enlightened my eyes with halachah.” (Shiltei Giborim)
Rare historic document: Certificate of taxes paid by the Mantua community to the city’s duke. Beautiful certificate signed by the gaon Rabbi Moshe Kazis of Mantua, a disciple of the Rem”a of Pano, one of the early Acharonim, whom the Acharonim admired very much [refer to the last section of the brief biography in the Hebrew catalog text]. Mantua, 1590. Two other Mantua sages sign alongside him.
Sages among those appointed to maintain letters and agreements attest that the upper mishmeret paid a sum of 450 Mantuan ducats on that very day to the treasury of his grace, the Duke …” We verify this, signed and stamped here in Mantua, Wednesday, 18 Sivan … signed by the youth Moshe son of Rabbi Shmuel Kazis z”l; signed, the youth Yehudah Aryeh of Pisa ztz”l, and signed by the youngest of them all, Yitzchak son of Rabbi Avraham …”
The three Mantua sages signed on this document, led by Mahara”m Kazis, were the leaders of Mishmeret HaMichtavim V’HaHaskamot in the Mantua community. This group supervised the records of agreements, documents, privileges and other certificates on behalf of Mantua Jewry (Simonson, Toldot HaYehudim B’Dukasot Mantua Part I, p. 252).
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for brief biographies of the gaon Rabbi Moshe Kazis , his father, the gaon Rabbi Shmuel Kazis , and several observations about the former by gedolei Yisrael .
[1] leaf paper, 18×24 cm. Light, high-quality paper.
Very fine condition.