Bidspirit auction | Responsa of the Radvaz –

Responsa of the Radvaz – Part IV – Livorno, 1652 – Original Leather Binding / Part II – Venice, 1749 – Copies of Rabbi Bentzion Wesel Rabbi of Turda and Handwritten Glosses - Two parts of Responsa of R. David ibn Abi Zimra, the Radvaz – Part IV, printed in Livorno, and Part II, printed later in Venice: • Responsa of the Radvaz (Part IV). Livorno: Yedidiah son of R. Yitzchak Gabbai, author of Kaf Nachat, [1652]. First edition. Comprises 300 responsa; in later editions, this part was regarded as the fourth in the series. Original leather binding, with gilt decorations. German inscriptions on front binding. [6], 100 leaves. 29 cm. Fair-good condition. Many stains to most leaves, including dark stains. Wear. Marginal tears to several leaves. Original leather binding (repaired), with wear and defects. Early inscriptions on binding. One of the first books printed in Livorno (for more information on R. Yedidiah Gabbai's press in Livorno, see previous lot). The end of this book, like others printed by the family, features three crowns (resembling the printer's device of Bragadin in Venice), with a caption playing on the Gabbai family name: ”There are three crowns, and the crown of a good reputation is superior to them (Gabeihem)”. • Responsa of the Radvaz, Part II. Venice: Meir da Zara, [1749]. First edition of these responsa. Responsa 589-842, as well as responsa 76-318 from the Rambam. On leaf 1, two learned glosses in Ashkenazic cursive script (perhaps handwritten by R. Bentzion Wesel, Rabbi of Turda). [2], 88 leaves. 31 cm. Varying condition of leaves, fair-good to fair. Stains. Wear and creases. Tears and open tears, including tears to title page, especially to approx. 15 last leaves, affecting text on several leaves, partially repaired with paper filling. Worming. New binding. On title page of both volumes, stamps of R. ”Bentzion Wesel, Rabbi of Turda and the region” (1864-1938), a leading rabbi of his generation, head of the Orthodox Bureau of Transylvania.