Arbaah Turim with Beit Yosef – Four Parts of Different Editions – Venice, 1565-1594 – Some Printed in Lifetime of ...

Arbaah Turim with Beit Yosef – Four Parts of Different Editions – Venice, 1565-1594 – Some Printed in Lifetime of Author – Early Ashkenazic Signature, Possibly by the Bach
Arbaah Turim (Tur) with Beit Yosef – four volumes from different editions, printed in Venice in the 16th century, some in the lifetime of the author of Beit Yosef, R. Yosef Karo.
• Tur Orach Chaim with Beit Yosef. Venice: Zuan (Giovanni) di Gara, [1589]. First edition with numbering of halachot and "novel halachot" in Beit Yosef.
Inscriptions and signatures, and several glosses on leaves of book. Signature on title page and early Ashkenazic signature on p. 40b.
24, 460 leaves. 32 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear and creases. Tears, including open tears on title page and other leaves, affecting title frame and text, partially repaired with paper (with handwritten text replacements in several places). Worming, affecting text. Loose leaves and gatherings. Early binding, damaged, with heavy wear and many tears.
• Tur Yoreh Deah with Beit Yosef. Venice: [Giovanni di Gara], 1574. Third edition of Beit Yosef, printed during the lifetime of the author R. Yosef Karo.
Especially fine edition. Afterword on the final page by proofreader R. Yachya son of Avraham ibn Chamu of Fez, in which he relates that the philanthropist R. Chaim ibn Saruk arranged the printing of this edition, and expresses his hope that R. Chaim ibn Saruk would succeed in exerting his influence on the Venetian authorities to rescind the prohibition against printing the Talmud in Italy, in effect since the burning of the Talmud in 1554.
Ownership inscriptions.
400, [28] leaves. 34 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear and creases. Tears, including open tears, on title page and other leaves, affecting title frame and text, repaired with paper. Worming, affecting text. Detached leaves and gatherings. Early leather binding, damaged and torn, with front detached.
• Tur Even HaEzer with Beit Yosef. Venice: Zuan (Giovanni) di Gara, 1565. Printed during the lifetime of the author.
Ownership inscription on title page.
On verso of last leaf, signatures of two censors.
Inscription on front binding: "Sh. Sh. S. Y[?]".
258 leaves. 35.5 cm. Overall good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Worming on title page and other leaves, affecting text. Small marginal tears to several leaves. Two leaves detached. Early leather binding, worn and damaged, with open tears to spine. Fabric laces for closing (partially torn).
• Tur Choshen Mishpat with Beit Yosef. Venice: Zuan (Giovanni) Bragadin assisted by Asher Parenzo by Zuan (Giovanni) di Gara, [1594].
On last leaf, printer's device depicting three crowns, on top of another printer's device depicting Venus holding an arrow next to a seven-headed dragon, with a Biblical verse.
Early Ashkenazic signature on title page: "Yoel son of R. Shmuel". This was the name of R. Yoel Sirkes, Rabbi of Cracow, author of Bayit Chadash (the Bach). We were unable to verify whether this is indeed his signature.
Other signatures on title page, p. 221a and leaf preceding index. Signatures and inscriptions on front endpaper.
Several glosses in Ashkenazic script.
421, [1] blank leaf, 27, [1] leaf. 33 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains and traces of former dampness on last leaves. Wear. Light worming. One leaf detached. Early leather binding, worn, with open tears to spine.
Provenance: Collection of Prof. Eliyahu Shmuel Hartom.