Page 119 - Winners Catalog 102

137 Midbar Matanah. 1810 and More. Book With Historical Signi cance. Complete Copy with Addition
Midbar Matanah. Compilation of works by Rabbi Matityahu Nissim Tarni. Two parts. [Italy] - Firenze - Senigallia - Urbino, 1810 and more. Book with historical signi cance. Complete copy with addition.
Speci cations: [Part one]: 38; 34; 15-24 leaves. [Italy], without year of printing and without place of printing. 19 cm. Part Two: Firenze, 1810, Urbino, 1809. Senigallia. [1], 20, 31, 16, 28 leaves; 8, [2] pages. 19 cm.
Content: Contains several works by Rabbi Matityahu Nissim Tarni of Italy, which were printed at di erent times and in dif- ferent places. All begin with the word ‘Midbar.׳ e collective name is Midbar Matanah, and the name of each work is printed at the top of the pages.
e rst part was printed without a title page, and it contains: Midbar Kinah - about a ritual slaughterer who was found to be not conversant with the laws, as to whether everything he slaughtered is retroactively considered not kosher.
Midbar B׳Mishor - Dispute between the author and Rabbi Yoel Chamitz regarding a prayer leader who behaved inappropriately.
Midbar HaGadol - Sayings from Rabbi Yishmael HaCohen of Modina.
Midbar B׳Arava - Polemic about permitting an agunah to remarry.
Midbar Kadesh - Praise and thanksgiving with songs upon the author׳s salvation and release from prison, and upon the salvation of the Jews in several communities in Italy on 11th of Sivan 1799. e bibliographers are of the opinion that Midbar Kadesh was printed separately and not together with the rest of the book.
e second part has the general title page Midbar Matanah, and contains several works, including the author׳s response to criticism of him:
Midbar Yachil - About what my disputer wrote ... Halacha is not like him.
Midbar Mishpat - About the ruling of Rabbi Yaakov Nunis Vais who judged justly.
Midbar Harim - Responsa on various topics.
Midbar B׳Arava - About the polemic about permitting an agu- nah to remarry, contains the responses of the rabbis who agreed with the author׳s ruling on the agunah in part one.
Additional: 8, [2] pages: Collection of testimony, in Italian, by ׳.Arava׳a notary, regarding the agunah mentioned in ‘Midbar B Contains: 8 pages: Urbino, Vincenzo Guerrini printing press, 1809. [2] pages: Senigallia, Lazzarini printing press, with no year of print.
In the copy before us, part two is bound before part one, appar- ently because the title page was only printed for the second part.
Unique Features: e bibliography claims that the parts Midbar Harim and Midbar B׳Arava (in part two), were not printed in their entirety. In the copy before us, Midbar Harim was completed in handwriting from the period, on the blank leaf at the end of the book. In addition, at the end of Midbar Yachil, there is a long inscription in handwriting from the period, and comments and amendments are written on several of the book׳s leaves.
Book with historical signi cance regarding the history of the Italian Jewish community. Extraordinarily rare book, especially in its complete form. To the best of our knowledge, the book has never previously been sold at auction.
Background: e author Rabbi Matityahu Nissim Tarni, born in Ancona in 1745, was one of the most prominent Italian rabbis. Served as rabbi of Firenze, Urbino, Senigallia and Pizarro. In 1799-1802 he witnessed the su ering of Italian Jewry as a result of the change of rule between the Italians and the Napoleonic armies. In 1799 he was even arrested in suspicion of political involvement, about which he wrote several poems which were published in the book before us. He was a relative of Rabbi Daniel Tarni author of Ikarei HaDat. He died in 1819 [appar- ently]. He also wrote the responsa Sfat Emet, and his name is frequently mentioned in books of poskim and responsa.
Condition: Fine-very ne. A few worming holes and aging stains. New binding.
O/b $400 Est. $1,000-$1,500
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