Bidspirit auction | Talmudic Literature – First Edition:

Talmudic Literature – First Edition: Malei Ratzon. Frankfurt am Main, 1710; with notable illustrative plates - Sefer Malei Ratzon, “to resolve all difficult passages throughout the entire Talmud, ” by Rabbi Abraham Naftali Hirsch ha-Levi Spitz, S.G.L., rabbi, Av Beit Din and Rosh Yeshivah of the holy community of Worms and its environs. Frankfurt am Main, 1710. A comprehensive and original work whose aim is to reconcile 1,550 passages in the Talmud that appear to contradict one another, as though—God forbid—one of the two statements could not be true. With an approbation by the Av Beit Din of Frankfurt, Rabbi Naftali Katz, author of Semikhat Ḥakhamim. On leaf 5: a large and impressive illustration of the benches added to the study hall after the appointment of Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah as Nasi, depicting 2,800 seats (!). On leaf 105/1: an illustration of the location of the rings in the Temple altar. Additional ornaments and illustrations appear throughout the book. A massive, early museum-quality binding, made of wood and covered with leather, with fine relief decoration; remnants of metal clasps. On the title page appear early rabbinic signatures and ownership stamps in Ashkenazic (German) script, from the time of printing and its vicinity, as well as additional inscriptions and stamps on other leaves. The signatures, inscriptions, and stamps have not been examined by us. [2], 4, 97 (should read 99); 114; 7, 9–10; 1–13, [1] leaves. 32 cm. Fine paper. Condition: fair. Some age staining. Wormholes. Several detached leaves. Binding disbound, lacking spine.