Sefer Levush HaTechelet V’Levush HaChur by Rabbi Mordechai Jaffe, known by the name of his series of sefarim , as the ‘Ba’al Ha Levushim .’ Fundamental work reprinted several times within its first 20 years, an almost unprecedented phenomenon. Venice, Bragadin Press, 1620.
Over 350 handwritten glosses appear along the leaves of the book, written by unidentified Italian sages. From the content of these glosses, it is evident they were written by prominent rabbis and poskim . We will quote some of their glosses: “I deliberated the reason this is customary (on Seder night) in Italy with my rabbis several times, because the way we do it is the way of people who are unwell, not the way of joy …” “I heard the reason for the four cups from an Ashkenazic sage …” “This custom to eat on the morning of Erev Rosh HaShanah is a bad, bitter custom, because several transgressions result from it …”
In one place, one of the writers notes what is customary “here in Verona.” In another place, the writer writes about eating tzukar (sugar) on Passover, and ersatz sugar, “They penalized a merchant here in Verona who would sell his sugar with flour and sand. But [regarding] the tzukaro … made in Venice, in Fano, and around the world, there is no concern that [it contains] flour. I also heard from reliable sources that if one places flour into sugar, it would all be ruined …”
Signatures on the title page: Moshe Luria, Shmuel Cabi, and some notations in Italian.
68; 69-201, [2] leaf. 35 cm.
Moderate condition. Tears and adhesions in the margins of dozens of leaves, some of which involve blemishes and are stuck on dozens of glosses. Old stains. Many usage marks, with wear and tears in some of the leaves. Old binding, used and chafed.