PICK, YESHAYA.
(1725-99). Yoseph Karo. Sepher Torath Kohanim, Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat. With commentary ...

PICK, YESHAYA.
(1725-99). Yoseph Karo. Sepher Torath Kohanim, Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat. With commentary Me’irath Einayim and Sifthei Kohen. Owned and heavily annotated by Rabbi Isaiah Berlin (Pick).


R. YESHAYA (BERLIN) PICK’S PERSONAL COPY, SIGNED BY HIM ON TITLE-PAGE, AND WITH HIS MARGINAL ANNOTATIONS THROUGHOUT.
ff. (4), 502. Corners rounded, lightly stained in places, opening and closing few leaves with marginal paper repairs. Modern blind-tooled calf. Thick folio.
Fürth: Yoseph b. Shlomo Shneur 1691


The volume contains hundreds of R. Yeshaya Pick’s autograph notes of Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat and its commentaries, the Sema and Shach. Written in a precise almost micrographic hand, he regularly suggests here textual emendations to fix errors in the printed text, or adds words to provide more clarity. Other times he creates useful lists of various opinions that the scholar would wish to have in mind when studying. For example, to the Sifthei Kohen’s list of rules derived from Siman 25, R. Yeshaya Pick focuses on five places where the Shach argues with other authorities: “a. Not like the Mechaber b. In this he argues on the Sema. etc.” Many of the marginalia are paragraph-length commentaries in their own right. This precious, working copy of a Halachic text from a distinguished Acharon, is a mine of information for scholars to research and publish the labors of Rabbi Isaiah Berlin on Choshen Mishpat. Rabbi Isaiah Berlin, also known by his father-in-law's surname Pick, was one of the great Central European Gaonim of the 18th century. He heavily annotated his books, leaving a plethora of insights, sources, and corrections on a good deal of rabbinic material. He was a businessman-scholar early in life, later serving as Av Beth Din in Breslau. Many of his valuable annotations on important rabbinic texts have been published, such as his Hafla'ah Shebearchin on the Talmudic dictionary by Rabbi Nathan of Rome, and his invaluable supplement to Masoret Hashas, included in Talmud editions published since 1805. Provenance: Donated by the Kloiz D’Chasidei Boyan to Yeshivath Chachmei Lublin. With stamps from both institutions, as well as an inscription on the opening blank from the librarian of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin calling attention to the annotations by Rabbi Berlin-Pick. A remarkable volume with hundreds of autograph annotations and with a distinguished provenance from the crown jewel of pre-war Polish yeshivoth.