Auction 37 · Lot 160

Twelve volumes complete

Estimate: $1,500–$2,500
Hammer price: $3,200

Historical auction record. Hammer prices exclude buyer’s premium and taxes.

author

(TALMUD, BABYLONIAN)

printer

Meshulam Zalman and Sons

Place

Sulzbach

Publication

1766 - 70

references

Vinograd, Sulzbach 300 et al; R.N.N. Rabinowitz, Mamar Al Hadfasat h HaTalmud pp. 122-24)

summary

The publication of the Sulzbach Talmud engendered severe contention between the Proops printing family of Amsterdam and the Sulzbach printers. This pertained to the rights of publication of the Talmud, with each side claiming that competition by the other transgressed copyright decisions issued by various community Rabbis. These infringements would thus impact upon their commercial investment. Consequently, once the Sulzbach edition began to appear, the Polish Council of Four Lands placed it under a cherem at the urging of the Proops family. However, Meshulam Zalman of Sulzbach appeared before the court of R. David Strauss of Fuerth and requested an adjudication. Proops failed to honor a summons and so the Beth Din permitted Meshulam Zalman to continue the publication of his edition which provide less-moneyed Jews an opportunity to purchase Talmud volumes, whereas the more costly Amsterdam Talmud could be afforded only by the more wealthy. See Rabbinowicz, Ma’amar al Hadpasath ha-Talmud (1952) pp. 119-121

Some staining and slight repair. Lengthy owners’ inscriptions, signatures and stamps in Hebrew and German in many volumes including Abraham b. Moshe of Greidetz, Melamed in the house of Moshe Baruch Auerbach (dated 1774), Moshe Baruch Auerbacher, Moshe Brill of Nordstetten, Joshua Goldschmidt of Zurich and others. Contemporary tooled vellum over thick wooden boards, variously rubbed and worn. Tractate Shabbath lacking front cover and title page loose. Folio.

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