Petach Einayim Ve-Aspaklariah Ha- meirah

A “cause celebre” in the annals of the publication of the Talmud. Concerns the controversy between the Amsterdam and Sulzbach printers pertaining to the rights of publication of the Talmud. Written in an interesting mixture of Hebrew and Yiddish. Delineates the claims and counter claims of Proops and R. Meshulam Zalman, the printer of Sulzbach. Each side claimed that the compettion transgressed the decisions issued by various Rabbis in their favor. The Parnasim of Amsterdam claimed that Holland ws under a democratic rule and not subject to the injunctions of the German Rabbis. The second part contains the “Cherem” issued by the Rabbi of Prague, R. Yechezkel Landau in favor of the Proops brothers of Amsterdam (dated 1764), as well as a host of other previous letters and approbations, dated 1715, from over 75 of the greatest Rabbis of the generation from various countries (Poland, LIthuania, Russia, Holland and Italy siding wth the Amsterdam printers and the Rabbis of Germany siding with the Sulzbach printer). Included are R. Yonathan Eibuschetz, R. Chaim Ha-cohen Rapoport of Lvov, the representatives of the Vaad Arba Aratzot (The Council of the Four Lands) and many other prominent Rabbinical leaders. According to Rabinowittz, the Amsterdam Talmud was known as the “Rich man’s shas” and the Sulzbach edition was labeled the “poor man’s shas”. Details concerning this controversy are also cited by R. Yosef Steinhardt of Furth in his responsa ZichronYosef , Choshen Mishpat, no. 2. The differing opinions of the Rabbis in this case were very similar to the differences of opinion voiced by the leading Rabbis 70 years later during the Slavita - Vilna conroversy.