Shulchan Aruch – Eshlei Ravrevei, Yoreh Deah. Vienna, 1808.
On the title page are signatures and a self-dedication signed "Refael ben Rabbi Aharon Magid of Rawicz". On the flyleaf are several signatures of his son Rabbi "Menachem Yosef ben Rabbi Refael Gradenwitz". Short notes and many handwritten corrections and several long scholarly glosses in the handwriting of Rabbi Refael Gradenwitz.
Rabbi Refael Gradenwitz, dayan in Rawicz in the Poznań region. Son of Rabbi Aharon who was a magid in the city of Rawicz and grandson of Rabbi Menachem Mendel son of Rabbi Yosef who served as Rabbi of Rawicz from 1755-1792. Their family name was Grada-Nowitz, which means "sechel yashar" (straight thinker) and indeed written on the tombstone of a member of the family is "A man with 'sechel yashar'". Rabbi Refael's signature is found on documents from 1846 and on approbation from 1847 for the book Afikei Yehuda (printed in the 1863 Lemberg edition). Rabbi Refael wrote books which remained in manuscripts in the possession of a grandchild, named Refael. This grandson lived in Berlin and immigrated to London and after his death the manuscripts could not be traced (Posner, L’Korot Kehillat Rawicz, Jerusalem 1962, p. 32). His son Rabbi Menachem Yosef who was an ordained rabbi also lived in the city of Rawicz and died in 1913 (ibid pp. 32-33).
[2], 2-353, [2] leaves. 36.5 cm. High-quality thick paper, good-fair condition, stains and wear, worm holes. Contemporary cardboard and leather binding, worn.