Responsa of the Ralbach – responsa by R. Levi ibn Habib. [Venice, printer not indicated, 1565]. First edition.
Important copy belonging in the 16th century to R. Yosef Katz Rabbi of Kraków and author of She'erit Yosef (brother-in-law of the Rema), with his signature. The copy later reached Maharam Ash Rabbi of Ungvar (Uzhhorod), disciple of the Chatam Sofer.
Main title page and three leaves of table of contents lacking at beginning of the book. These leaves were replaced in neat script, with the title page text set in a fine, ornamental border in black and red ink.
The replacement leaves are followed by leaf 1, the printed half-title.
On the following leaf (leaf 2), signature of the She'erit Yosef: "Yosef son of R. Mordechai Gershon Katz of Kraków".
At the top of the half-title (leaf 1), signature of R. Yechiel Michel Segal of Głogów, rabbi of Eisenstadt (Ishim BiTeshuvot HaChatam Sofer, pp. 180-181, section 271; the Chatam Sofer heard R. Yechiel Michel's sermons when the latter served as maggid in Vienna, stating "I tasted the pleasantness of his speech and sweetness of his honey").
This signature is followed by an inscription dedicating the book to R. Meir Ash Rabbi of Ungvar, by Mordechai Silber of Yarmut. Additional inscription: "This holy book by the Ralbach belongs to R. Meir Ash, rabbi of Ungvar".
Deleted signature on the decorated title page, by a grandson of R. Meir Ash – R. Meir son of R. Menachem Ash.
Additional signature on leaf 2 (in the initial word panel): "Yitzchak son of R. Menachem Bacharach". Another inscription by the same person on the final leaf.
R. Meir Eisenstaedter – Maharam Ash (1780-1852, HaChatam Sofer V'Talmidav, pp. 296-303) was a foremost disciple of the Chatam Sofer and a leading Hungarian rabbi, son-in-law of R. David Deutsch Rabbi of Neustadt. He served as rabbi of several Hungarian cities, and from 1835, as rabbi of Ungvar. He authored Responsa Imrei Esh and other books. He studied under the Chatam Sofer for five years, and the Chatam Sofer attested that no disciple enlightened him like R. Meir did (HaChatam Sofer VeTalmidav, p. 297). A holy man, he fasted every weekday of the Shovavim period, and was known to benefit from Divine inspiration. In 1831, he went to visit his teacher the Chatam Sofer, who expressed amazement at the extent of his disciple's retention of his teachings. He was very attached to the Chatam Sofer. Each day, he would cloister himself in his room for a whole hour, praying for the Chatam Sofer's longevity. On the day of his teacher's demise, after seeing a Sefer Torah cloaked in black, he ceased this custom, knowing that the Chatam Sofer had passed away (HaChatam Sofer VeTalmidav, p. 299 and p. 301). The Ktav Sofer eulogized Maharam Ash as the foremost disciple of his father, the elite of the elite of his foremost disciples, in Torah, piety and character traits. He mentioned the account of the Chatam Sofer's amazement at his proficiency, recalling that the latter had exclaimed to those who were present that he had never seen such an erudite Torah scholar, with exceptional fluency in everything he had learnt, as if it was written before him (Drashot Ktav Sofer, pp. 197-199, Jerusalem 1972 edition).
209, [1], 217-328 leaves. Lacking 6 leaves: title page, three leaves of table of contents, and two leaves of errata. Title page and three leaves of table of contents replaced in handwriting (table of contents over two leaves) at beginning of book. Leaf 8 bound out of sequence, after leaf 3. 29.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including large, dark dampstains. Wear. Tears, including open tears, slightly affecting text in several places, repaired in part with paper. Minor open tears to decorated title page, due to ink erosion. Minor worming, affecting text. Early leather binding, worn and rubbed.

The book contains many printed glosses by an anonymous proofreader. The book was presumably first printed with the proofreader's glosses, and many leaves were later reprinted, with changes or omission of the glosses. There are therefore many differences between the various copies of the book (in the number of new leaves included, and more). Regarding the differences between the various copies, see: Y. Rivkind, Dikdukei Sefarim, Kiryat Sefer, X, 1933-1934, pp. 492-493, no. 8; Y. Yudlov, Ginzei Yisrael, Jerusalem 1985, pp. 119-120, no. 715.

Rabbi Yosef Katz Author of She'erit Yosef – Brother-in-Law of the Rema, Leading Halachic Authority, Rabbi and Yeshiva Dean in Kraków
R. Yosef son of R. Mordechai Gershon Katz (ca. 1511-1591), rabbi of Kraków, brother-in-law of the Rema and leading Torah scholar in his times. He was appointed dayan in the Kraków Beit Din in 1541, as a young man. With time, he was promoted to the highest panel of the Beit Din, sitting alongside R. Moshe Segal Landau and R. Moshe Isserles – the Rema (author of HaMapah on the Shulchan Aruch). The Rema later became his brother-in-law when he married Kreindel, the sister of R. Yosef Katz (in 1542, after the passing of the first wife of the Rema, Golda daughter of R. Shachna of Lublin). At the end of a ruling from 1558 (section 78 in the present book, last responsum in the responsa section), the community scribe lists the three dayanim in the following order: R. Moshe Landau, R. Yosef Katz, and the Rema. The Rema, when referring to this ruling in one of his responsa (section 17, 2), humbly writes that he was included as third dayan by default – "I am the least of them"
Apart from his position as dayan, R. Yosef Katz served as yeshiva dean in Kraków, and after the passing of the Rema, he was recognized as the foremost Torah disseminator and community leader in Kraków. He was reputed throughout the Jewish world as an outstanding Torah scholar, posek and halachic authority, and even his brother-in-law the Rema took his rulings into consideration and accepted his teachings. Amongst the Torah leaders who sent R. Yosef Katz their rulings and asked for his opinion was the Maharshal, who despite being known as a resolute individual who would not flatter anyone, writes of him with admiration and self-effacement, describing his own teachings as the discussions of a student before his teacher. One of R. Yosef Katz's Torah enterprises was the publication of Sefer HaAgudah by R. Alexander Suslin HaKohen of Frankfurt, in Kraków 1571, after toiling to proofread and correct it based on an old manuscript he obtained. A year before his passing, R. Yosef Katz brought to print his book She'erit Yosef, comprising for the main part responsa, as well as novellae and commentaries on the Mordechai (on various tractates) and on Tur Choshen Mishpat. She'erit Yosef spread rapidly after its publication amongst the Torah scholars of the generation, who discuss the novellae and rulings found in the book and quote them in their works. These include his contemporaries (disciples of the Rema and the Maharsha) R. Binyamin Aharon Slonik in his book Mas'at Binyamin and R. Yehoshua Falk, the Sema, in his book Derisha UPerisha. R. Yoel Sirkis, the Bach, who succeeded him as rabbi of Kraków, mentions him in his work; followed by R. Shabtai Katz, the Shach, who discusses his teachings several times in his work on the Shulchan Aruch.
His contemporary, R. David Ganz of Prague (disciple of the Rema), describes R. Yosef Katz in his book Tzemach David as bearing four crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, the crown of royalty and greatness, and the crown of a good name.
His epitaph reads: "…R. Yosef son of R. Mordechai Gershon Katz, rabbi and yeshiva dean here in Kraków for over fifty years…".
(For a detailed biography of R. Yosef Katz, see introduction by R. Moshe David Chechik at the beginning of She'erit Yosef, Zichron Aharon edition, Jerusalem 2017).