Sefer Torat Emet – responsa by Rabbi Aharon Sasson. Fundamental adjudicative work. Bragadini Press. Venice, 1626. First edition. Located in the Rare Books Collection at the National Library.
Everyone who studies Shulchan Aruch, especially the Choshen Mishpat section, knows that in many sugyas , Rabbi Aharon Sasson is the Mara D’Shematteta , and his word is final. It is also known that there are many places where the Sha”ch and other poskim cite his words and deliberate them, one constructing and the other deconstructing. His Sefer Torat Emet is a foundational work in psak , and is extensively cited in works by later poskim , from the Ta”z and the Sha”ch through contemporary works.
The sefer is adorned with approbations by Venice rabbis: R’ Yosef Samiga, R’ Ya’akov L’Veit HaLevi, R’ Shemaya b”r Moshe di Medinah, R’ Eliezer b”r Menachem, R’ Yeudah Aryeh of Modena, R’ Simchah Luzzato, R’ Nechemiah b”r Leib Saroal, and R’ Shmuel Massoud. The sefer includes responsa from chachmei hador : R’ Shlomo L’Veit HaLevi, R’ Shlomo HaKohen, R’ Tzvi b”r Simchah, R’ Meir ibn Shengi, R’ Yom Tov Tzahlon, R’ Shmuel di Medinah, R’ David ibn Nachmias and R’ Avraham ibn Nachmias. The sefer opens with forewords by the author’s son and grandson. The content opens with a poem: ” Chasufei zvul msaveh agan rakiyah ” (which appears in Otzar HaShirah V’HaPiyut no. 256).
The title page bears an early Oriental calligraphic signature [over the word sefer ], and there are several glosses in Oriental script along the leaves of the sefer . The signature and the glosses have not been examined by us. The title page also bears another, later, owner’s stamp, from the mighty gaon Rabbi Ze’ev Wolf Leiter [1892-1974], av beit din of Petersburg, author of Hagahot V’Tziyunim on the Ramba”m. He was one of the leading ba’alei zikaron of the world.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of Rabbi Aharon Sasson .
116, 119-[222] leaf. 26.5 cm. Light-colored, high quality paper.
Moderate-Fine condition. Aging stains. Minimal worming perforations. Adhesions in the margins of the title page and the last page without damage to text. Dismantled binding.