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; on f.4v. positioning of the Temple on Mount Zion. On front blank, signature of “Nachum Duber Friedman” (of Sadigora, Galicia, scion of distinguished Chassidic dynasty of Rizhin) in purple ink. On title, his stamp “N.B. Friedman” and handwritten words “Minchat Shai.”

Vinograd, Venice, 1467

THE R. NACHUM DOV BER FRIEDMAN OF SADIGURA COPY, with his signature. 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 direct disciple of R. Joseph Karo. See M. Benayahu, Yosef Bechiri (Jerusalem, 1991), p. 320.