Shailoth Uteshuvoth [responsa]

Tzahalon, Yom Tov

Vendramin

Venice

1694

FIRST EDITION. Title page within typographic border surrounding depiction of the Tabernacle, on verso diagrams of the Third Temple, Table with Showbread and Menorah, positioning of the Temple on Mount Zion depicted on f.4v. On title, signature and stamp of R. Chaim Meshulam Hakohen Kaufman (1861-1924), rabbi of Poltosk, Poland, and author of several works, notably Pethach ha-Ohel on the difficult Mishnaic tractate Ohaloth (see N.Z. Friedmann, Otzar ha-Rabbanim, p. 137, no. 6510)

Vinograd, Venice, 1467

Yom Tov Tzahalon (1559-after 1638) was the emissary from Safed to Italy and Holland, and later to Egypt and Turkey. Although a student of R. Joseph Karo, he attacked the latter's monumental compendium Shulchan Aruch, claiming it was a work for children and laymen. Of late, Meir Benayahu has expressed doubt whether Tzahalon was actually a disciple of R. Joseph Karo, and not a disciple of a disciple. See M. Benayahu, Yosef Behiri (Jerusalem, 1991), p. 320. Tzahalon's collected responsa were published by his grandson Yom Tov ben Akiva, who added his own novellae to chapters five and six of Bava Metzi'a. It is told that the phenomenal Lithuanian genius R. Joseph Zechariah Stern of Shavel knew the responsa of R. Yom Tov Tzahalon by heart verbatim! (See Rabbotheinu she-ba-Golah I (Jerusalem, 1996), p. 119)