Ohr Yisrael - "The Cleves Get" Affair. Cleves, 1770. First Edition

Ohr Yisrael - "The Cleves Get" Affair. Cleves, 1770. First Edition
Ohr Yisrael - responsa, mainly regarding the "The Cleves Get" affair (the first 33 responsa in the book deal with this affair) by Rabbi Yisrael Lipshitz, Av Beit Din of Cleves. This is the widely-distributed censored edition, without responsa 34-36.
Before us is the central book of "The Cleves Get" affair, an affair which stirred up the rabbinical world of Europe. It is the only book printed at the printing press in Cleves, which was established especially in order to print this book. There were just a few other compilations known to have been printed there, nevertheless, this was the only complete book printed there.
The title page and the following pages contain the owner's stamps of Rabbi "Yitzchak Yosef Chazan" son of Tzvi Hirsch of Plotzk-Lubitch, a renowned Talmudic scholar and Av Beit Din in Lubitch. He authored the Siach Yitzchak booklets, and published many articles in Torah anthologies. There is an owner's signature on the flyleaf and an inscription indicating that the book was sold to Rabbi Yitzchak Chazan. There is an additional rabbinical signature on the title page.
"The Cleves Get" affair was a halachic dispute about the soundness of a divorce document. It stirred up the rabbinic world of 1766-1767 Europe. The affair was regarding a bridegroom whose sanity was in doubt and who divorced his wife. There was concern that as a result of the state of his mental health, the divorce was invalid. However, it crossed the boundaries of narrow halachic deliberation and ignited a widespread conflict between various rabbis and communities. The most prominent rabbis of the generation intervened. The rabbi of Cleves at the time, who authored the book before us, was Rabbi Yisrael Lipshitz (son of the gaon R' Eliezer Av Beit Din of Apta, author of Damesek Eliezer on tractate Chulin, and grandfather of the author of renowned commentary Tiferet Yisrael on mishnah). He was the one who arranged the get. Rabbi Lipshitz claimed that the bridegroom spoke with due consideration and logic, and did not appear mentally ill. When the bridegroom's father heard about the divorce, he became very angry. He turned to the rabbi of the Mannheim community, who declared the get invalid because the bridegroom was "a fool and a madman" when he delivered the get. Frankfurt rabbis agreed with Rabbi Hesse's claim, and sent a letter to Rabbi Lipshitz in Cleves in which they declared that in their opinion the woman is still married; and that in their opinion, he must publicly announce the get's cancellation. A wide controversy ensued, involving many rabbis from many communities. The most prominent rabbis of the generation got involved in the dispute (with the exception of the Vilna Gaon), including Rabbis: Shaul of Amsterdam, Ya'akov Emden, Aryeh Leib Ginzburg (author of Sha'agat Aryeh), Yechezkel Landau, (author of the responsa Noda BiYehudah), David Tevel of Lissa, David Frankel (author of Korban HaEdah), Shlomo of Chelm (author of Merkavat HaMishnah) and Elchanan Ashkenazi (author of Sidrei Taharah), who were all in favor of the soundness of the get, in accordance with the opinion of the Cleves rabbi. After the affair, Rabbi Yisrael Lipshitz published this book, including, as mentioned, the halachic arguments regarding the get.
31, 33-66, 69-120 leaves. 19.5 cm.
Fine condition. Aging stains. Minimal worming perforations. Not bound.