Fascinating discovery!
Declaration by the Bais Yosef
Alshich, and Tzfas Rabbonim
Meor Einayim – Mantua 1574
with Declaration Banning Sefer Meor Einayim
by the Bais Yosef, Alshich, and Tzfas Rabbonim
Sefer Meor Eiynayim by Rabbi Azrayah Di Rossi (Min ha’Adumim), contains three sections.
Kol Elokim – on the earthquake which struck his city Ferara in the year 1571.
Hadras Zekinim– on the translation of the Tora to Greek.
Imrei Binah – collection of essays and works on jewish history and hashkafa.
Rabbi Azrayah Di Rossi (Min ha’Adumim) (c.1513 – 1578) was a great Italian scholar, proficient in torah, history, and sciences well versed in many languages and secular books.
The publication of the book caused immediate controversy amongst the Rabbis in Italy accusing the author of critical writings on the words of Chaza”l and for being influenced from secular philosophical works. As a result of the accusations and debates amongst the Rabbanim, the author retracted some of his writings and republished his sefer with some corrections and changes.
Declaration Banning Sefer Meor Einayim
To this sefer Meor Einaim is attached a rare historical page containing the opinion of the Bais Yosef, Rabbi Yosef Karo condemning the Meor Einayim and declaring that the sefer should be banned. The Bais Yosef’s opinion was written by the prime disciple of the Bais Yosef Rabbi Elisha Galiko and confirmed by Rabbi Moshe Alshich and endorsed by many Rabbanim of Tzefas.
This page printed in Venetia type, circa 1576 is an exceptionally rare testimony of this stirring controversy.
In the writing of the prohibition Rabbi Elisha Galiko writes that the book was brought to Maran Rabbi Yosef Karo at the end of his life and due to his illness, he did not have time to issue the prohibition in his own handwriting and asked him to do so, but the matter was postponed until after the passing of the Bais Yosef and therefore he is writing the Bais Yosef’s opinion as he heard directly from him that it is forbidden to study this book and stating that the book should be burned.
These words were confirmed and endorsed by another talmid of the Bais Yosef the Holy Alshich who wrote:
“I also heard all these things from the mouth of the Rabbi Z”l, the words of the young Moshe ben Reb Chaim Alshich Zll”h”
These two talmidim of the Bais yosef were joined by an additional eight prominent Rabbonim of Tzfas, (see below) to affirm the banning of the book by a Minyan of ten Rabbanim.
Podcast by Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz:
Fascinating discovery!
This page stating the prohibition from the Bais Yosef to the sefer was first revealed by the Chid”a in his Sefer Machzik Beracha (Livorono 1885) and he writes that he copied the document based on a written page he found in the Library of a great rabbi.
However the document he had does not contain the full page and is missing the section with the signatures of the eight Rabbonim from Tzefas joining the ban!.
The first to announce such a printed page is Elikum HaMilzahagi in his book Rabia (Opan 1737, page 27,3) who writes, “The text of the ban and the signatures on it was printed at the end of sefer Mivchar Hapninim printed in Venice” (however, it is unknown of the printing of the sefer Mivchar Hapninim in Venice at that time, perhaps someone inserted the page that was printed in Venice in a random sefer Mivchar Hapninim), consequently the page is mentioned by Tzuntz in the name of the scholar Shi”r (Kerem Hachemed Vol. 5 1845 p. 142).
This page was not seen by the great bibliographers and researchers who investigated the polemic of the Sefer Meor Einayim (among them: Shazaha, Mehlman and Benihu, see below). They did not see this page, nor did anyone mention the list of Rabbonim of Tzefas who joined the ban as it is in its entirety on the page before us.
This page is the only known record and printing of the ban, with the complete list of the Rabbonim of Tzefas who joined the banning of the book.
Book Description:
Mantua, 1574. First edition.
Page count: 194 Leaves (the main sefer ends on page 184b following the original printing the author added an additional 10 Leaves).
Page size: 20.3 cm
Condition: Good. minor holes and stainings. Old binding.
Provenance: Sotheby’s N.Y. Tuesday June 26, 1984
The uniqueness of this copy
Following the controversy and objections from the Italian Rabbis, Rabbi Azrayah wrote clarifications defending his opinions and was required to republish the sefer with amended pages, the pages omitted from the original print and changed were 52-53, 81-82, 87,88.
However the page with the most significant changes were to page 87a, this copy has the original and first version of this page which is extremely rare.
There are few annotations in Italian script.
Bibliographies: See Hebrew description.
List of Rabbonim of Tzafas who joined the ban:
Rabbi Moshe Onkinira – one of the great sages of Tzfat and then in Kushta, mentioned in Shu’t Avkas Rochel by the Bais Yosef.
Rabbi Naftali bar Menachem – one of the sages of Tzfat, a response from him is printed in Shu”t Mishpatey Shmuel Ch. 73.
Rabbi Chaim Ha-Chaver – one of the sages of Tzfat, signed in Shu”t Avkas Rochel by the Bais Yosef, and in Shu”t Mabi”t and Shu”t Mahara”m Alshich and more.
Rabbi Shlomo Absavan – talmid of the Beit Yosef and of the followers of the Ar”i, a friend of the Alsheich HaKadosh, signed along most of the rulings of the Rabbonim of Tzfat in his generation.
Rabbi Ya’akov Birev (the second) grandson of Mahar”i Birev the first, who reincorporated “semicha” (ordination) in his times and bequeathed the authority of the “semicha” to his grandson. Talmid of the Bais Yosef and the great sages of Safed.
Rabbi Avraham bar Yitzchak [Laniado] – Talmid of the Bais Yosef. One of the sages of Aram Tzova, author of Sefer Magen Avraham (Venice 1603), son-in-law of Rabbi Shmuel Lanyadu, author of the ‘Keilim’.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Nun – his signature appears among the commitments of the disciples of Rabbi Chaim Vitals, he participated in the copying of the writings of rabbi Chaim Vital, Served as Ab”d in Tzefat.
Rabbi Yehosef Arazin – talmid of the Arizel, there are teachings in Kabalah that he received from the Ari mentioned in the writings of Rabbi Chaim Vital.
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Any inquiries about this lot ?
