Auction 57 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Responsa Binyamin Ze'ev - Venice, 1538 - Copy Proofread by the Author
Opening: $1,000
Sold for: $2,750
Including buyer's premium
Sefer Binyamin Ze'ev, Halachic responsa by R. Binyamin Ze'ev ben Matitya. [Venice]: Daniel Bomberg, [1538].
This copy was proofread, with glosses in the author's handwriting, as well as other glosses and corrections.
This book was brought to print by its author, R. Binyamin Ze'ev Ben Matitya of Arta, Greece, one of the greatest halachic decisors of his generation. This was the first book of halachic responsa to be brought to print by its author. It aroused great controversy due to several halachic decisions that were opposed by many Italian rabbis, and R. Binyamin was forced to resign his position as rabbi of Arta due to the controversy.
Some changes were made during the printing, including the omission of sections 255-256 "in order to maintain peace", and their replacement with two other pages. The book was proofread by R. Binyamin himself, as he writes in the colophon, but mistakes nevertheless crept into the text. After the initial printing, R. Binyamin proofread many copies of the book by hand.
Despite the controversy surrounding it, this book has been ascribed great importance in halachic literature. The Maharshal opposed several of the halachic decisions in the book, and wrote, "If he were correct, G-d would never have allowed misfortune or error to come about through his words". The Rema, on the other hand, lists the author among the greatest halachic decisors and relies upon his decisions. (See: Meir Benayahu, Introduction to Sefer Binyamin Ze'ev, Jerusalem, 1988).
This copy includes handwritten corrections by R. Binyamin Ze'ev on pages 337b, 405b, 501b, as well as a long addition on page 606b, signed with the words "so it seems to me, the simple one" (as the author commonly referred to himself).
In addition, the book contains other corrections contemporary to the printing.
Listings and signatures on the endpapers in different handwriting, including a long list of corrections to printers' errors, under the heading "these seem to be printing errors". Signatures: "Yehuda de Lunel", "Yisrael Polis", "Yosef Lattes" and others.
Page 294b (end of the laws of tefillin, tzitzit and mezuza) includes a Kabbalistic Ilan Sefirot.
Incomplete copy. 281-367, [2], 376-399, 399-575 leaves. Missing leaves 1-280. 20.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and slight wear. Worming on several pages. Old leather binding; worn and mostly detached.
This copy was proofread, with glosses in the author's handwriting, as well as other glosses and corrections.
This book was brought to print by its author, R. Binyamin Ze'ev Ben Matitya of Arta, Greece, one of the greatest halachic decisors of his generation. This was the first book of halachic responsa to be brought to print by its author. It aroused great controversy due to several halachic decisions that were opposed by many Italian rabbis, and R. Binyamin was forced to resign his position as rabbi of Arta due to the controversy.
Some changes were made during the printing, including the omission of sections 255-256 "in order to maintain peace", and their replacement with two other pages. The book was proofread by R. Binyamin himself, as he writes in the colophon, but mistakes nevertheless crept into the text. After the initial printing, R. Binyamin proofread many copies of the book by hand.
Despite the controversy surrounding it, this book has been ascribed great importance in halachic literature. The Maharshal opposed several of the halachic decisions in the book, and wrote, "If he were correct, G-d would never have allowed misfortune or error to come about through his words". The Rema, on the other hand, lists the author among the greatest halachic decisors and relies upon his decisions. (See: Meir Benayahu, Introduction to Sefer Binyamin Ze'ev, Jerusalem, 1988).
This copy includes handwritten corrections by R. Binyamin Ze'ev on pages 337b, 405b, 501b, as well as a long addition on page 606b, signed with the words "so it seems to me, the simple one" (as the author commonly referred to himself).
In addition, the book contains other corrections contemporary to the printing.
Listings and signatures on the endpapers in different handwriting, including a long list of corrections to printers' errors, under the heading "these seem to be printing errors". Signatures: "Yehuda de Lunel", "Yisrael Polis", "Yosef Lattes" and others.
Page 294b (end of the laws of tefillin, tzitzit and mezuza) includes a Kabbalistic Ilan Sefirot.
Incomplete copy. 281-367, [2], 376-399, 399-575 leaves. Missing leaves 1-280. 20.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and slight wear. Worming on several pages. Old leather binding; worn and mostly detached.
Handwritten Glosses
Handwritten Glosses