Sefer Tur Yoreh Deah with the Beit Yosef commentary by Rabbi Yosef Karo, leading Safed sage. From the moment it was printed, this commentary became the most important halachic work – to this day. Venice, Bragadin Press. 1551. Rare first edition printed in the author’s lifetime. Incomplete copy.
Page 109b bears a gloss signed by the great gaon Rabbi Moshe Provençal, av beit din of Mantua and one of the leading sages of his generation, friend of the Mechaber’s [author of Shulchan Aruch]. Over [80] important glosses appear along the length of the sefer , written in the century following the printing, by at least seven different writers, undoubtedly including expert Torah scholars, whom we haven’t succeeded in identifying.
Rabbi Moshe Provençal’s name is very closely linked to the printing of another part of the Beit Yosef commentary. The printing of a section of Choshen Mishpat began in the year 1558 (seven years after the printing of this Yoreh Deah section), but soon after, a dispute broke out between the printers (the Poa family) and the Beit Yosef’s emissary – Rabbi Moshe Ben Shoshan. Rabbi Moshe Provençal was in charge of the composition of the
beit din , and he excommunicated those who did not come to testify in this matter. Rabbi Moshe ben Shoshan refused to come, and the excommunication was imposed on him. Rabbi Moshe ben Shoshan claimed that he was unjustly excommunicated, and imposed an excommunication back [!] on Rabbi Moshe Provençal. This local controversy became a great storm throughout Italy, and all the way to the Land of Israel. There were rabbis who supported Rabbi Moshe Provençal, and there were those who held the excommunication imposed by Rabbi Moshe ben Shoshan, and believed that the Rama”f should act in order to remove the excommunication from him.
Interesting note – several months ago, a large unknown printed poster was offered at auction, dealing with a controversy about printing the Choshen Mishpat section, with glosses handwritten by Rabbi Moshe Provençal, and it was sold for the astronomic sum of $130,000!
One-of-a-kind sefer : The Beit Yosef commentary – without a doubt the most important Jewish work of the past five hundred years, the copy that belonged to one of the leading sages of his generation, himself a close friend of the author’s, who fought against the Beit Yosef’s emissary about printing another part of the Beit Yosef !
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of
Rabbi Moshe Provençal ,
av beit din of Modena.
[30], 398 leaf, incomplete copy. The title page and the following [6] leaves including the beginning of the indices are lacking and have been completed by professional photocopy. The body of the work is complete. 33.5 cm.
Moderate-fine condition. Usage and aging stains. Several glosses (including by the Rama”f) cropped at the margins. Ink stains on leaves [8-10] of the index leaves. Worming perforations and tunnels, primarily in the inner margins. Stickers for reinforcement on the last leaf and two additional leaves. New leather binding.