Responsa Besamim Rosh, halachic responsa attributed to the Rosh and other prominent Rishonim, with the Kasa DeHarsena commentary by R. Shaul Berlin. Berlin, [1793]. First edition. Approbations by the author's father, R. Tzvi Hirsh Levin Rabbi of Berlin, and by the Noda BiYehuda.
This book was the focus of a great polemic, with the Torah leaders of the generation – R. Mordechai Banet, the Chatam Sofer, and others, claiming that the book is forged and its responsa were authored by the publisher R. Shaul Berlin, rather than by the Rosh, as claimed. The authenticity of the book remains disputed until this day (see Hebrew sidebar).
Special copy belonging to the author's father, R. Tzvi Hirsh Levin Rabbi of Berlin, with his glosses, typically signed "Tzava" (=Tzvi ben Aryeh, after which his book was titled Tzava Rav).
The present copy was presumably presented by the author as a gift to his father, and he had the following inscription lettered on the binding: "To my father… R. Tzvi Hirsch Rabbi of Berlin".
The book contains four glosses handwritten by R. Tzvi Hirsh Berlin, three of them signed (at the beginning) with his acronym: "Tzava".
R. Tzvi Hirsh valiantly defended his son against those who questioned the authenticity of the book, firmly asserting that the book was not forged (see Hebrew sidebar). In his glosses, R. Tzvi Hirsh discusses his son's words.
The gloss on p. 108b is of particular interest, as it relates to one of the responsa which was the focus of the polemic against the book – responsa 375, which permits travelling on Shabbat in a case where interrupting the journey would force the person to become a burden on the community and accept charity. Near this responsum, his father noted: "Tzava – Although this responsum seems strange, it is nevertheless Torah... but nowadays it will cause a Chilul Hashem... it is definitely forbidden".
Signature on the title page: "I acquired it from R. Leib son of R. Shaul for 1 Löwen Taler, Aryeh Leib Berlin" (the Leib mentioned here may be Aryeh Leib son of R. Shaul Berlin, who converted to Christianity. He may have inherited this copy from his grandfather, and later sold it).
[4], 110, [5] leaves. 32.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Detached leaves and gatherings. Inscriptions. Original binding with gilt lettering. Binding damaged, lacking spine and back board.