Responsa Tashbetz – Amsterdam, 1738-1739 – Fine Copy with Original Decorated "Fish-Skin" Binding – First Edition – ...

Responsa Tashbetz – Amsterdam, 1738-1739 – Fine Copy with Original Decorated "Fish-Skin" Binding – First Edition – Variant with Seven Title Pages

Responsa Tashbetz, three parts, by R. Shimon son of Tzemach Duran. With Responsa Chut HaMeshulash by grandsons of the author. Amsterdam: Naftali Hertz Levi, [1738-1739]. First edition. With seven title pages.

Original unique parchment binding, with artistic gilt decorations of the figures of Abraham holding the knife over his son, held back by an angel (on front binding), and King David playing the lyre (on back binding). Interestingly, all copies of this book with the original bindings were artistically prepared by hand with fine ornamentation and decoration, with no copy identical to another. Most original bindings were made of fine parchment or a combination of leather and parchment, reminiscent of fish skin.

Reputedly, the author, R. Shimon son of Tzemach Duran, merited to have his books beautifully printed and elegantly bound by virtue of his practice to cover his open books with a lavish kerchief (R. Yitzchak Palachi, Yafeh LaLev, III, Yoreh Deah 277:3). Furthermore, it is told that he deeply respected his holy books and would clean them daily with a silk cloth (Sh.Y. Agnon, Sefer Sofer VeSipur, p. 152, related by R. Eliezerov in the name of the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch; N. Ben Menachem, Gevilei Sefarim, pp. 11-12, related by R. Zevin in the name of the Rebbe Rashab of Lubavitch).

Handwritten inscription on second title page of Part I: "Given by… Leizer Katz as a gift to my father, the greatly pious R. Yisrael of Bonn. Kalonymus called Kalman Mengiburg".

[12], 91; [1], 69; [1], 68, [1]; [1], 36; [2], 39-83; [1], 85-101, [1] leaves. Does not contain [1] leaf at end of Part II with list of books by the author (this leaf seems to appear in most copies twice, at the end of Parts II and III, while in the present copy it appears only at the end of Part III). Title page of second part of Part IV bound out of place, after first leaf of text in that part. 32 cm. Good condition. Stains. Small marginal tears to several leaves. Original elaborate parchment binding, with fine color and gilt artistic decorations.

The present copy contains seven title pages, two for Part I, one for Part II, one for Part III, and one for each of the three sections of Part IV.

This edition has several known variants, which can be differentiated by the number of title pages. Some copies, such as this one, have seven title pages (some have as many as eight; see Kedem catalogue, Auction 59, Lot 88), while other copies have only four original title pages (see Bibliography of the Hebrew Book entry 125589, and see: Dan and Gita Yardeni, The "Tashbez" by R. Shimon b. Zemah Duran; Amsterdam, 1739-1742, Alei Sefer, X, 1982, pp. 119-132 [Hebrew]).