Bidspirit auction | Responsa Shev Ya‘akov. Frankfurt, 1742.

Responsa Shev Ya‘akov. Frankfurt, 1742. Foundational work. First edition - The responsa volume Shev Ya‘akov, questions and answers by the renowned Gaon Rabbi Jacob Poppers, Av Beit Din of Frankfurt—one of the most important responsa works. Two parts. Frankfurt am Main, תק״ב [1742]. Owner’s signature. The author, the renowned Gaon Rabbi Jacob Poppers, Av Beit Din of Frankfurt (d. 22 Shevat ה׳ת״ק), was among the greatest sages of his generation—a decisive halakhic authority, responsum writer, and eminent teacher of Torah. For over twenty years he served as rabbi of Frankfurt and headed the yeshivah there, from which emerged leading Torah figures. The book is adorned with an approbation by his successor in the Frankfurt rabbinate—the author of Penei Yehoshua. Rabbi Jacob was born in Prague to Rabbi Benjamin ha-Kohen Poppers, who also served as a dayan. In his youth he studied Torah with Rabbi Aaron Simon Shapira, Av Beit Din of Prague, and later with Rabbi Abraham Broda, Av Beit Din and head of the yeshivah in Prague. In the year תנ״ח he was appointed rabbi in Koblenz. In תע״ח he was chosen to serve as Av Beit Din and head of the yeshivah in Frankfurt am Main, where he passed away in ה׳ת״ק. He was succeeded by the author of Penei Yehoshua. He was among the foremost sages of his generation, a halakhic decisor and teacher. For more than twenty years he served as rabbi of Frankfurt and headed the yeshivah there, from which emerged great figures. He taught Torah in his large and important yeshivah of more than four hundred outstanding students, and produced many disciples—among them several rabbis (as cited by the Ḥida in Shem ha-Gedolim): the authors of Zikhron Yosef, Korban ha-Edah, Sidrei Taharah, Be’er Ya‘akov, Pardes David, Etz Yosef, Sha‘ar Naftali; Rabbi Nathan of Mainz, author of Binyan Shlomo; the author of the responsa Ma’amar Mordekhai; Rabbi Akiva Eger the First, Av Beit Din of Pressburg; Mahar”ם Barbi, Av Beit Din of Pressburg; and many others. On the title page appears an owner’s signature, apparently that of the magnate Rabbi Jacob Kappel Segal Frenkel of Vienna, who supported several leading sages in his home and built the study house in the city of Vienna. Stefansky, Foundational Books, no. 308. A fine copy printed on high-quality paper with wide margins. [1], 119; [1] 130 leaves. 32.5 cm. Condition: very good, except for a simple, detached binding.