Copy with yichus: Sefer Shut Maharik—Cremona, 1557. Engraved illustration of the Binding of Isaac

Copy with yichus: Sefer Shut Maharik—Cremona, 1557. Engraved illustration of the Binding of Isaac

Sefer Shut Moharar Yosef Colon (ben Shlomo), known better as the Shut Maharik. Among the earliest Sifrei Yesod in the world of Jewish psak halacha, it is referenced endless times in later halachic works, especially the Beit Yosef by Maran Rabbi Yosef Karo.

Second edition, printed by Vicenzo Conti in Cremona, Italy. [12], 173 leaves. Catalogued in the NLI’s Rare Books collection. Pretty engraved illustration on the title page, filled with tiny details such as angels and various figures, headlined by a depiction of the Binding of Isaac.

New handsome binding, title page professionally repaired, moisture stains and mold in the margins of a group of leaves, a few worming holes, one group of pages is detached together, overall good condition for a book this ancient and rare.

The author was born in France and migrated over the years to Mantua (Italy), where he was the rabbi of the Jewish community there, both in general and in particular for its community of French Jews. He worked endlessly on halachic questions sent to him from across the world, and he would often only be able to study for himself in the late hours of the night.

Mizrahi notes on the title page: “Ish Tza’ir s”t [a young man]”. There are a number of rabbis who signed their name thusly, and this copy was probably owned by Rabbi Eliyahu Yisrael (1715-1784), son of Rabbi Moshe Yisrael, Av Beit Din of Rhodes (author of the Masat Moshe). In his youth he moved to Israel and studied in a chavruta with the Chida, and later became the rabbi of Alexandria, Egypt, a position he held until his death.