Palgei Mayim

AUCTION 27 | Tuesday, February 08th, 2005 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Autographed Letters, Manuscripts, Ceremonial & Graphic Art

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Lot 191
PORTO, MOSES COHEN BEN YECHIEL

Palgei Mayim

FIRST EDITION. Title within woodcut architectural arch ff. 78;14;1-4. Repaired worming not affecting text. 4to Vinograd, Venice 1042; Habermann, di Gara 257

Venice: J. Di Gara 1608

Est: $400 - $600
PRICE REALIZED $850
A celebrated controversy concerning the Mikveh in Rovigo, a Province of Veneto in Northern Italy. The Ritual Bath received its water supply via a bucket with holes, the question at issue was whether the water was classified as drawn or flowing. The debate concerning ritual validity proved to be inexhaustible and was submitted to numerous Rabbis both in Italy and abroad. See A. Yaari, Mechkarei Sepher (1958) pp.420-29; Carmilly-Weinberger pp.160-1. The present work is a polemic against Mashbith Milchamoth, a work that presented rulings in favor of the arrangement in Rovigo. This work was published with variant paginations. It contains ruling against the use of the Mikva by major Italian authorities such as R. Menachem Azariah of Fano, R. Moshe Menachem Rapo, and R. Moshe Cohen Porto as well as the only known published halachic responum of R. Moshe Mordecai Margoliot of Cracow (the predecessor of thre Bach). This pagination , according to Yaari, is what is found in “most copies.”