Ketubah on Parchment - Modena, 1800 - Important Families of Italy - Very Important Signatures: The Rabbi of Modena ...

Ketubah on Parchment - Modena, 1800 - Important Families of Italy - Very Important Signatures: The Rabbi of Modena, Rabbi Yishma'el Ha'Cohen, Author of "Zera Emet", One of the Most Prominent Rabbis of Italy, Rabbi Mazal Tov of Modena - Rare, Important Ketubah
Ketubah recording the marriage of the groom Rabbi Shabtai Chaim ben Rabbi Yosef David Korinaldi, with the bride Esther Simcha bat Rabbi Shmuel David Modena.
Modena, 1800.

Square Italian script. At the top, in large, bold letters: "Kol Sasson Ve'Kol Simcha Kol Chatan Ve'Kol Kala". With a frame made of various verses.

The witnesses: Rabbi Yishma'el ben Avraham Yitzchak Ha'Cohen and Rabbi Mazal Tov ben Shimshon Ya'akov Modena".

Rabbi Yishma'el Ha'Cohen (1724-1811) one of the most prominent rabbis and Poskim of Italy. His reputation preceded him mainly due to his responsa book "Zera Emet". He was born in Modena to his father Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Ha'Cohen. His brother, Rabbi David Ha'Cohen, served as the rabbi of Modena. After his brother's death in 1782, Rabbi Yishma'el became the rabbi of the city. So began a golden era for the Jews of Modena, who were proud of their rabbis' wisdom and intelligence. Rabbi Yishma'el served as the father and patron of the Jews of Modena. Beside teaching Torah in the Batei Midrash of the city and being a Dayan, he used to attract the simple people with the sweetness of his sermons until almost all the men, women and children of the town would gather to hear him.
Rabbi Yishma'el stood firm against the spirits of the Enlightenment which started to spread slowly throughout Italy.
A deep friendship existed between Rabbi Yishmael and the Chida. When the Chida arrived in Modena for a second time in 1777, he went to the synagogue to hear the Rabbi Yishma'el. He also corresponded with him on halachic matters. In one letter, he names him "the great person".
Rabbi Yishma'el did not have children and his disciples served as replacement. For more than thiry years Rabbi Yishma'el served as the single rabbi of Modean and actually as the leader of all the Jews of Italy. During this period, he wrote thousands of responses and rulings, which were accepted unconditionally.
His compositions: the "Zera Emet" responsa, three sections (two of them were printed during his lifetime, while the third was printed after his death), "Shevach Pesach" (Livorno, 1790) - on the Passover Haggadah, "Sefat Emet" (Livorno, 1832) - wonderful Drushim on each of the Parashot, "Hen Kol Chdash" (Mantova, 1772) - in honor of the inauguration of a synagogue in Modena.

Rabbi Mazal Tov Modena (died in circa 1830), one of the most prominent rabbis of Italy. Was a disciple of Rabbi Yishma'el Ha'Cohen. Replaced his rabbi as Av beit Din of Modena. Was a Posek, Darshan and poet. His compositions: "Perur Lechem" - on the four parts of the Shulchan Aruch, responsa and rulings on Arba'ah Turim, "Sha'arei Deah" - rules on the Talmud, Bible Novellae, Drushim on the Torah.

The families of the bride and groom, Korinaldi and Modena, were among the most important families in Italy, families of rabbis and Torah scholars. This is most likely the reason that these prominent rabbis served as their witnesses and signed their Ketubah.

Ketubot from Modena are extremely Rare!
31x37 cm. in a frame. Has not been examined out of the frame.
Condition: good-Fair. Wrinkles and stains. Erasures of the ink and slight flaws. A part of the signature of Rabbi Mazal Tov is erased.