Sephathaim Yishak.... [two letters regarding the Sabbatian characteristics of the amulets produced by Jonathan Eybescheutz]

AUCTION 16 | Tuesday, June 25th, 2002 at 1:00
Important Hebrew Printed Books and Manuscripts From the Library of the London Beth Din

Back to Catalogue

Lot 98
(EYBESCHEUTZ, JONATHAN)

Sephathaim Yishak.... [two letters regarding the Sabbatian characteristics of the amulets produced by Jonathan Eybescheutz]

FIRST EDITION ff. (2). Lightly browned, paper repairs to inner margin, clean tear at outer margin. Modern boards. Folio Vinograd, Altona 53; Mehlman 1715

(Altona: n.p. 1752)

Est: $3,000 - $4,000
PRICE REALIZED $5,500
Two letters addressed to R. Simcha (Ra)Paport and his colleagues, the Dayanim of Prague. The first from R. Jacob Joshua of Cracow, the author of Pnei Yehoshua; the second from R. Aryeh Leib ben Saul of Amsterdam, the brother-in-law of Jacob Emden. They state they had examined the amulets at the heart of the Eybescheutz controversy, and declare the originator should be uncompromisingly excommunicated. In response to a challenge from the Dayanim of Prague, these two Rabbis defend their position and suggest their ban was not a personal attack on Jonathan Eybescheutz, who despite his ambiguities was well respected as a scholar, but rather a pronouncement against the unidentified Sabbatian