Sepher TaSHBa”TZ [Rabbinic law and responsa - following the decisions of R. Meir of Rothenburg]

SAMSON BEN TZADOK

Vicenzo Conti

(Cremona)

(1556)

FIRST EDITION. Title within ornate architectural arch incorporating printer’s device (Yaari, no. 25). On title, inscription of Aaron Uri, called Feivis, Jaffe, of Verona. (Jaffe was the rabbi of Verona in the year 1622. See N. Friedman , Otzar Harabanim, p. 38, no. 1757). Solomon B. Freehof book-plate

Vinograd, Cremona 6; Benayahu, Cremona 5; not in Adams

Samson ben Tzadok has been described as the “Boswell” of his teacher, the revered R. Meir ben Baruch (MaHaRaM) of Rothenburg (c.1215-1293). Serving as his personal attendant, Samson was in a position to record the religious practices of the greatest authority of Aschkenazic Jewry from the time he rose in the morning until he retired at night. The glosses added by R. Peretz of Corbeil cite the prevalent practices when contrary to Maharam's ruling. The book gained extreme popularity among the Jews of Germany, Austria and Poland. Vicenzo Conti's printer's mark in this work incorporates the symbol of the city of Cremona. This particular version appears in only three of his books