Bidspirit auction | Sefer Yesod: Even Ha'ezer (Ra'avan),

Sefer Yesod: Even Ha'ezer (Ra'avan), First Edition, Prague 1610 – Antique Signatures from the Margolies Family & Others. - Sefer Even Ha'ezer (Ra'avan) is a halachic work containing legal rulings and commentaries on various tractates, authored by Rabbi Eliezer ben Nathan of Mainz. First Edition. Prague, 1610, by Rabbi Moshe ben Betzalel Katz. A foundational work, the sefer presents halachic rulings, explanations of laws and customs based on the Talmud, written by Rabbi Eliezer ben Nathan, one of the earliest Ba’alei HaTosafot from Mainz. Many great Rishonim were his descendants, including the Rosh. He also authored kinot (lamentations) on the massacres of 1096 (the Crusader pogroms), which he experienced in his youth. On the verso of the title page appears rare approbations from the leading sages of the time, including: Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Eidels (the Maharsha),   Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, author of Levushim,   Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, author of Kli Yakar, Rabbi Yitzchak Katz, son-in-law of the Maharal of Prague, among others. In this work, the author deals with practical halachic rulings across all areas of Torah. He also integrates various personal recollections, discusses customs of his contemporaries, and frequently quotes rabbis by name. As a result, Even Ha’ezer is also a valuable historical source. It is one of the foundational texts of the early Ashkenazi and French Rishonim, preserving significant halachic material and textual variants.   Antique ownership inscriptions include: “This is my acquisition with money, the humble Meir Margolies of Krakow,   In this sefer too, God has favored me – the young Meir Margolies of Krotoszyn.: Meir, son of the honorable Rabbi Margolies of Krakow, the young Meir Margolies of Krotoszyn.” Antiqque signatures ''Yaakov, called Koppel ben Yosef of the holy community of Pintshov.” “My father’s God was my help that I merited the serfer Even Ha’ezer, : Elazar of Nikolsburg.” Antique ownership inscriptio: “Belongs as a gift to the groom, the honorable Rabbi Yehuda of Semnitz.” Several antique marginalia. Stefansky Sifre Yesod, no. 225. The sefer was titled by the author ”Even Ha’ezer”, as printed in large letters on the title page. However, for centuries it has been widely known as “Ra'avan”, the acronym of the author’s name. The title page is ornately framed with woodcut illustrations – featuring figures (angels, people, and animals) and Jewish symbols such as the Star of David and priestly hands (symbol of the kohanim). 154 Leaves. 29.2 cm.