Volume of the Shulchan Aruch – Choshen Mishpat section with the Be’er HaGolah commentary. Amsterdam, 1664. First edition of the Be’er HaGolah, with a signature and glosses by Rabbi David Katz Bistritz, the Chatam Sofer’s beloved disciple.
Signature on the front protective leaf: “LaHashem HaAretz U’Melo’ah the youth David Katz Bistritz. There are [over 80!] handwritten glosses on the volume’s leaves and in its margins handwritten by Rabbi David Katz Bistritz, av beit din of Milchdorf, with comments and halachic rulings. To the best of our knowledge, these comments have never been printed!
On the front protective leaf and on the title page (completed by hand), there are signatures of the gaon Rabbi Moshe son of Aryeh Leib Hertzfeld , a disciple of the Ktav Sofer.
And on the back of the last leaf, there is an additional ancient signature: The youth Nathan, known as Nota, son of the deceased Yakob … 1758. Additional signatures.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for brief biographies Rabbi David Katz Bistritz and Rabbi Moshe Hertzfeld .
Handwriting expert’s confirmation included identifying the handwriting and the signatures.
Incomplete copy. Originally: 486 leaves. This copy lacks the title page, [6] index leaves and the last leaf. The title page, some of the indices, and the last leaf, were completed in a beautiful, elegant script. Approximately 14.5 cm.
Moderate-fine condition. Aging stains. R’ David Katz’s signature is somewhat blemished. Many of the glosses are cropped at the edges. Several leaves are detached or partially detached. Slight wear to the margins of several compilations. Original cardboard and leather binding, blemished and incomplete.