Shu”t MaHarshal Includes Rare Leaf that was Expunged from all Copies with Name of the Informer and Responsum 12. ...

Shu”t MaHarshal Includes Rare Leaf that was Expunged from all Copies with Name of the Informer and Responsum 12. Lublin 1574.

An extremely rare and unknown bibliographic variant. First edition.

Shu”t MaHarshal by Rabbi Shlomo Luria, author of Yam Shel Shlomo and Chochmat Shlomo, and one of the greatest Halachic authorities of his time.

This copy includes the leaf containing the end of Responsum 11 which mentions the name of the informer, Yozel Weil. This name is crossed out with a black line, but is nonetheless clearly legible. It also includes Responsum 12 on the topic of the family who slandered him.

Other copies reprinted this leaf anew. In place of the informer’s name they printed: “And regarding the informer – Geneiva”. Responsum 12 is entirely obliterated from other copies, out of respect to the family and so as not to cause them damage. As can be seen from this copy, family members are clearly referred to by name. [Yitzchak Rivkind, Dikdukei Sefarim: Lachkor Hitpatchut HaDefus HaIvri, kiryat Sefer, Year 4, p. 278 279, No. 37].

An extremely rare and unknown bibliographic variant. This extraordinary copy contains pages that were printed twice - but not identically! These "duplicate" pages are the same in content but different in format.

Antique owners’ signature on the title page: “Yitzchak b”R Marcus Yosef zlh”h Shapira”.

The MaHarshal (1510-1573) was a leading Halachic authority. He was born in Brisk or Posen, and was a great disseminator of Torah, teaching students in Brisk, Ostrow and Lublin. Leading Torah luminaries number among the ranks of his disciples, including The Sema, the Ba’al Matteh Moshe, author of Shu”t Mas’at Binyamin and the Kli Yakar.

Rabbi Gans who lived during the same era wrote about the MaHarshal in his sefer Tzemach David: “The great light, wonder of his era; all the nations will follow his light and all Jewry will drink from his waters.”

Lublin, 1574. Klonimus Yaffe Press. First edition. Sefer Yesod.

Stefansky Sifrei Yesod No. 287.

Originally: 4, [158] leaves. Present copy: 4, [172] pages.

The difference in page number is due to the fact that in this copy there are pages that were printed in twice, each time with a different format. [See for example responsum 9].

A one-of-a-kind, complete bibliographic variant that has never previously appeared in Public Auctions!