Tur Choshen Mishpat, with the Beit Yoseph, [Venice, 1567]. Second edition of the Beit Yoseph. Many glosses and corrections in several ancient manuscripts from the 16th and 17th century. Antique owners' signatures: Zvi Hirsh ben R' Ziskind; Moshe ben R' Yisrael of Radzitz; Eliezer ben HaRav Ya'akov from Zulz, etc.
On last page near colophon, signature: "Natan ben Shlomo Shapira Av Beit Din" and the inscription of a pasuk from Parshat Mishpatim, written in the holy handwriting of the Mekubal Rabbi Natan Shapira Rabbi of Cracow, author of Megale Amukot. His handwriting was identified by comparison to the manuscripts of his book Megale Amukot. [Possibly, many of the glosses are in his handwriting, not checked out by an expert].
Rabbi Natan [Neta] Shapira (1585-1633) one of the greatest Torah genuises of his times and one of the leading kabbalists in Ashkenasi countries. The grandchild of the Maharnash (Rabbi Natan Shapira, author of Imrei Shefer and Mevo She'arim). He was renowned for his great holiness and many tales of wonders of revelations of ruach hakodesh have been related about him throughout the generations. In his introduction to Megale Amukot, his son Rabbi Shlomo Rabbi of Satnow, writes that his father merited the revelation of Eliyahu Hanavi. Efraim Zalman Margoliot notes this fact in his introduction to Megale Amukot, Lvov printing. Rabbi Yeshayahu Bassan in his famous letter to the Venice chachamim counts the author of Megale Amukot as one of the special individuals who merited learning from Heavenly angels. His famous disciple is Rabbi Shabtai Katz, author of the Shach. Rabbi Shlomo son of the Megale Amukot writes in his approbation to the book Siftei Cohen that his father "the renowned genius, G-dly man Rabbi Natan Shapira would amuse himself with the great … Shabtai Katz … and he was like his son whom he brought up". After his death, he appeared in a dream to Rabbi Shimshon of Ostropoli to teach him Torah secrets, as Rabbi Shimshon wrote in his letter: "By oath, this night Parshat Va'era I saw the great Gaon Rabbi Neta of Cracow, author of Megale Amukot in my dream in a vision and he said to me that the explanation of this rhyme is … has supreme secrets". His books and writings were extremely dear to kabbalistic and Chassidic leaders. Many of the leaders of various generations stated that they were descendents of the author of Megale Amukot: Rabbi Yehonatan Eibeshitz (who writes about him "my grandfather the Gaon haMekubal, Man of G-d Holy author of Megale Amukot, Third Mouth of the Arizal"), the Knesset Yechezkel, Rebbe Pinchas Shapira of Koritz, Rebbe Mordechai of Naschiz (who writes in his approbation to the Lvov edition: "a man that the spirit of G-d talks within him … rabbi of rabbis… my grandfather Rabbi Natan Neta Rabbi of Cracow, author of Megale Amukot"), The Tiferet Shlomo of Radomsk, the Chidushei HaRim, Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin and many others.
(See attached material).
6-40. 43-462 leaves. (Missing title page and 4 first leaves). 34.5 cm. Fair condition, stains and wear, detached leaves. Antique leather cover, damaged and worn.
Enclosed is an authorization of the identification of the signature by a manuscript expert [who also printed the book Megale Amukot from the author's manuscript].