Pnei Yehoshua – Amsterdam, 1739 – Ancient Signatures and Glosses by Prominent Rabbis – First Edition that was ...

Pnei Yehoshua – Amsterdam, 1739 – Ancient Signatures and Glosses by Prominent Rabbis – First Edition that was Printed during the Author's Lifetime
Sefer Pnei Yehoshua, Apei Zutrei – novellae on the tractates of Ketubot, Gittin, Kiddushin. By Rabbi Ya'akov Yehoshua Av Beit Din of Metz and Lvov. Amsterdam, [1739]. First edition. First book of this author printed in his lifetime.
On the title page, a Hebrew signature from 1779 of Rabbi "Yitzchak Isaac son of the pious Rabbi … Yisrael Schor"; "Yitzchak Isaac son of the genius…". His signature also appears on the reverse side of the title page: "Yitzchak Isaac son the genius rabbi". Additional signatures.
On leaf 3: "At the rabbinical … Kaufman Kreti U'Fleti". On leaf 4: "Dobver".
On leaves 4, 5 of the second pagination there is a continuous inscription on the upper part of the leaves: signatures of rabbi "Dobver – son of rabbi…"
On leaf 33, an ancient square Hebrew signature: "Yehoshua…"
Additional Hebrew signatures on the title page: "th eypoung Ya'akov"; "Belongs to … Ze'ev Wolf Ha'Cohen".
On the last leaf of the book, a Hebrew ownership inscription of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Raman.
Several glosses by different writers, including a completion of an omission of several lines where the leaf had been torn. Correction of words in ancient script, most likely from the time of printing!
On leaf 45/2, a long scholarly gloss [in script that is typical of the 1740's].
The background of the writing of the composition
On the 3rd of Kislev 1702, the mother, wife and young daughter of the "Pnei Yehoshua", Rabbi Ya'akov Yehoshua Falk, were killed in an explosion of gunpowder depots in his city of Lvov. The explosion destroyed several houses, including Rabbi Yehoshua's and caused a fire in the town. Rabbi Falk miraculously survived.
In the preface to his book "Pnei Yehoshua" before us, the author recalls that when he lied under the ruins he vowed that if God saved him, he will dedicate his life to the study of the Torah and will continue what his great-grandfather, author of the book 'Maginei Shlomo', had started – answers to questions raised by Ba'alei Ha'Tosafot on Rashi . Immediately after he finished articulating his vow, he saw a path among the ruins. He also recalls in his preface that before writing the book, he studied the Talmud 36 times in memory of the 36 victims of the disaster.
The Rabbis who had signed and wrote glosses in the book
Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Schor (circa 1730-1800), Av Beit Din of Jaryczów (Galicia), author of the book "Mincha Chadasha" (Oleksinets 1774). The son and successor of Rabbi Yisrael Schor Av Beit Din of Jaryczów, author of "Einei Yisrael" (circa 1710-1790).
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Maggid (died in 1906), a Maggid and Av Beit Din of Raman (Wallachia), corresponded on halachic matters with Rabbi Shlomo Kluger.
4; 115; 106; 91; 19 leaves. (leaves 20-26 are missing at its end). 30 cm.
Condition: Fair. Wear and tear. Flaws and gluing on the title page and several additional leaves. Stains. Old, worn binding.