Partnership Contract of R. Shmuel Papo, Son-in-Law of the Remez - Signed by Kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Chizkuni and by ...

Partnership Contract of R. Shmuel Papo, Son-in-Law of the Remez - Signed by Kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Chizkuni and by R. David Altaras - Venice, 1661 - With Listings of Merchandise - Documentation of Trade in Books Printed in Prague, Conducted in Venice
Handwritten document - partnership contract between R. Mordechai Ziskind HaLevi Wallerstein of Prague and R. Shmuel Papo - son-in-law of R. Moshe Zakut [Moses ben Mordecai Zacuto, the Remez], signed in Venice on Rosh Chodesh Tamuz 1661.
The document is signed by both partners, R. Mordechai HaLevi Wallerstein and R. Shmuel Papo, and by two witnesses: "Avraham, son of my father and master the pious Rabbi Yechizkiyah" and "David Altaras". The first is Kabbalist R. Avraham Chizkuni, author of Shtei Yadot and of Zot Chukat HaTorah and the second is R. David Altaras, a contemporary Venetian rabbi.
The contract details the conditions of the partnership, including the requirements of each partner: "The honored Rabbi Mordechai Halevi obligates himself to travel to Prague and invest the sum of money at his behest…in order to benefit and bring profit to the partnership, and the honored Rabbi Shmuel Papo obligates himself to attempt to sell the merchandise here in Venice or elsewhere…".
The document is written on a sheet of paper folded in two. On the second leaf is a list of merchandise invested in by the partners, amounts and prices. Among others, the following merchandise is listed: granato (garnets), calzetta (woven shoes/socks), bottone (buttons), as well as a listing of packages of books for sale: "Forty Mishnayot with Tosfot Yom Tov for 160 reale (40 refers to the amount of books, reale were the common currency)", "Three Yalkut Chadash for 38 reale", "Eighty Safa Berura for 8 reale", "Four Shichechat Leket for 7 reale".
Evidently, all the listed books were printed in Prague (Mishnayot with Tosfot Yom Tov, first edition, Prague 1615-1617; Yalkut Chadash, Prague 1657; Safa Berura, Prague 1660 and Shichechat Leket, Prague 1652) and exported by R. Mordechai Wallerstein from his hometown of Prague to Venice for sale. R. Shmuel Papo signed at the end of the list: "I, Shmuel Papo received these assets…". On the margins is another inscription signed by R. Mordechai of Prague: "I, Mordechai HaLevi, confirm receiving 15 of the 40 sets of Mishnayot…".
Rabbi Shmuel Papo, signatory on the contract, is evidently R. Shmuel Shemaya Papo, son-in-law of the kabbalist R. Moshe Zakut - the Remez (father of R. Avraham David Papo of Ragusa - see Nepi- Ghirondi, Toledot Gedolei Yisrael VeGeonei Italia, p. 31].
The first signatory as witness, R. Avraham son of R. Yechizkiya, known as R. Avraham Chizkuni (born in 1627), was an Ashkenazi scholar and kabbalist. Born in Cracow, he was a disciple of the author of the Tosfot Yom Tov, and travelled to Venice to join the kabbalist group of the Remez and his companions. At the end of his days, he travelled to Tripoli, Libya, and died there (see: Nepi- Ghirondi, Toledot Gedolei Yisrael VeGeonei Italia, first volume; Michel, Ohr Hachaim, p. 34, no. 92). Two of his works were printed: Zot Chukat HaTorah - Kitzur Kavanot HaAri, printed by the Remez in Venice in 1659, and Shtei Yadot - commentary on the Torah, revealed and hidden dimensions (nigleh and nistar), printed by his son in Amsterdam in 1726. The rest of his compositions were never published and have been lost over the years.
The second signatory as witness, R. David ben Shlomo (the Dvash) Altaras (1639-1714), was a Venetian rabbi, who also served as editor and proofreader in the local printing houses. Among other books, he printed Divrei HaBrit (Venice 1707). His testament together with mussar and poetry written by himself and by his disciples was printed and titled Tzuf Dvash, Venice 1714. His glosses on the Mishnayot were published after his passing (Mishnayot with Nekudot HaKosef, Venice 1737-1738; afterward in additional editions).
Folded folio (4 pages, two with handwriting). 30.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Folding creases, tears and wear to margins and folding creases.