Beautiful Original Binding. Tashbe"tz. Amsterdam, 1738-1741. First Edition. Fish Skin Binding

Beautiful Original Binding. Tashbe"tz. Amsterdam, 1738-1741. First Edition. Fish Skin Binding

Tashbe"tz is one of the most important halachic works. It is comprised of over 900 halachic responsa by Rabbi Shimon bar Tzemach - one of the great rabbis of Algeria. Four parts in one volume, separate title pages for "Chut HaMeshulash" (for a total of four title pages). First edition. Amsterdam, 1738-1741. Owners' signatures on the first title page and on leaf 1. Lengthy gloss on leaf 9. Interesting antique script on the flyleaf.

Tradition relates that the cover is made of fish skin (yet there are those who are uncertain). The rare original binding was handmade by a craftsman, and this is the reason that no one binding is like any other. Rabbi Rachamim, son of Rabbi Chaim Palagi, writes in his book Yefeh Levav: 'I heard that the great rabbi, the Rashbe"tz, thought that he may have merited that the large book of Shu"t called Tashbe"tz be so beautifully printed and bound - there is none like it - because he was careful to spread a beautiful and important kerchief on the books open before him for study.'

There are different variants of the book's title pages. Before us is the different variant, with the first title page from 1741 with pictures that are different from the usual, as detailed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book: "The first title page is from the year זאת התורה א’ש’ר’ שם משה לבני ישראל (chronogram working out to 1741), and instead of the two lions in the usual first title page, there are pictures of Moshe and Aharon, Shlomo and David." In these copies, there is only the first title page and the three title pages of Part IV. (Refer to: N. Ben-Menachem in 'Sod Sefarim, ' Sinai, Volume 16, 1945, pp 324-326. And see: D. and G. Yardeni, 'Seder Hadpasato shel HaTasbe"tz, ' Alei Sefer, 10, pp. 119-132.)

[11], 91; 69, [1]; 68, [1]; [1], 101, [1] leaf. 31 cm. Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod 270; fine condition. Aging stains. Isolated worming perforations. Tear with small lack in the final leaf. Original binding.