Divrei Emeth U’Mishpat Shalom [account of a prolonged financial dispute between the three communities of Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbeck]

In the year 1770, R. Jacob Emden (1697-1776) was called to act as the third judge (shalish) to arbitrate a financial dispute between the communities of Altona and Hamburg-Wandsbeck. The present scarce work contains the text of the compromise drafted by Emden along with claims, warnings, complaints, disproofs and counters between the communities concerned. R. Emden writes that his health was jeopardized due to his involvement in this contentious matter that dragged on for five years and in which the Altona community directly threatened Emden personally (ff.29v.-30r). Emden pours out his infamous vitriol on one of his fellow judges who prematurely leaked the final verdict before the conclusion of the case. Emden writes that the judge should have been tied to the post and beaten. "Had I been aware of his stupidity at the onset, I would never have sat on a court bench with him. Not for all the money in the world!' (f.6v)