Lot 275
Will of Rabbi Yosef Shaul Natansohn, Author of Shoel U'Meishiv – With his Signature
Handwritten document (in German), official notice containing update of another paragraph to the original will (written in 1853) of R. Yosef Shaul Natansohn (author of Shoel U'Meishiv), Rabbi of Lviv. Lemberg (Lviv), 1870.
In this addition, R. Natansohn instructs to allocate after his passing 5000 Krone to charity; 40% of this sum would benefit the community's Jewish hospital and the rest should be distributed to impoverished relatives, the needy of the town, other poor people and the Passover fund for the destitute. Furthermore, he enjoins that this document be deposited by the administration of the hospital. The instructions are followed by the signatures of the rabbi and five witnesses.
Two addenda are enclosed with the document, testifying the hospital's receipt of the document and its intention to fulfill the instructions, signed and stamped by community members, fund administrators, members of the hospital administration and witnesses.
R. Yosef Shaul Natansohn (1808-1875), a leading halachic authority of his time, was born in Berezhany (Galicia). He composed together with his brother-in-law R. Mordechai Zev Ettinger the books Mefarshei HaYam on Baba Kama, Magen Giborim on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, Responsa Shevet Achim and other books. (The two brothers-in-law later found themselves on conflicting sides, in the polemic surrounding machine matza). He served as rabbi of Lviv from 1857. He composed many books yet was renowned for his responsa book – Shoel U'Meishiv.
[5] pages, 34 cm. Good condition. Stains and folding marks. Marginal tears.
