The Mantua polemic broke out in 1732 between the community and four of its members regarding tax payments. The rabbis of Mantua – Rabbi David Finzi, and Rabbi Aviad Sar Shalom Basilea – appealed to leading rabbis of the generation for their halachic opinion on the matter. Dozens of responsa were written and sent to the community rabbis.
Rabbi Natan Halperin was the Av Beit Din in the Three Communities – Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbeck. He joined the argument per the request of Rabbi Moshe Chagiz. In this adjudication, he rules per the rabbis of Mantua, according to their earlier ordinance of 1588.
The response was printed in the Kovetz Beit Aharon V’Yisrael, issue 70 and, from another manuscript, in Shnot Dor v’Dor (section 2, p. 391).
[3] pages. 23×19 cm. Eloquent Ashkenazic hand – all legible. Moderate condition. Stains and light tears from acidic ink.