Pachad Yitzchak, halachic-encyclopedic composition in alphabetical order, by R. Yitzchak Lampronti Rabbi of Ferrara. Venice-Reggio-Livorno, 1750-1839. First five parts, letters Alef through Mem, in six volumes.
Signatures on the title pages of the first and third volumes: "Mordechai Shmuel Ghirondi of Padua – HaGeshem"; "Shamgar – of the community of Padua". Five of the volumes contain halachic notes (some of them lengthy) with interesting historic and bibliographic data, handwritten by R. Mordechai Shmuel Ghirondi.
In Volume II, pp. 85b-86a, a lengthy note appears, containing a fascinating testimony about the Divine Inspiration exhibited by the Ramchal, who exposed a certain scholar as insincere and indeed, shortly thereafter, he renegaded: "…Nechemia Cohen, who is now dubbed by the Hebrews Chermia, after being a rabbi and posek for several years, having been ordained by two rabbi emissaries from Eretz Israel for his wisdom and great expertise in Talmud and Halacha… and G-d uncovers the flatterers and hypocrites… they found this despicable Chermia in illicit relations with a married woman, and when it was discovered, he converted and became a big bishop, and the holy Kabbalist R. Moshe Chaim Luzzatto Rabbi of Padua later revealed that all his wisdom and expertise was acquired through the Sitra Achra (impure forces). Once this despicable person was in our town Padua, and he kept his distance from the Ramchal, afraid that he would publicize his bad deeds. The Ramchal was accustomed to welcome the Shabbat in a certain garden together with all his disciples, and R. Yaakov Chazak asked his teacher why he doesn't invite that visiting scholar… to welcome the Shabbat with them, and R. Luzzatto answered him: leave him alone, as impure forces have caught him and are helping him, and an impure thing cannot sit in a holy place, and in a few days he will convert, and so it was. All these things I, Mordechai Shmuel Ghirondi, heard from the honorable elder Meir Trieste, who received them from his teacher the aforementioned R. Yaakov Chazak, posek in Padua" (this story is told briefly and with variations in his book Toldot Gedolei Yisrael U'Geonei Italia, Trieste, 1853, pp. 229-231).
Printed dedications in Italian, completed by hand and signed by the printer R. Yitzchak Foa, are pasted onto the front endpapers of the first two volumes.
Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ghirondi (1800-1852) was the rabbi of Padua, a kabbalist, bibliographer, teacher in the rabbinical seminary of Padua and researcher of the history of Italian rabbis. He served as rabbi of Padua since 1831, for 21 years. He composed several books on halacha and ethics, yet is renowned primarily for his book Toldot Gedolei Yisrael U’Geonei Italia (Trieste, 1853). One of the leading Torah scholars of the generation writes about his greatness in Kabbalah: "I have never seen anyone proficient in kabbalistic teachings like the Kabbalist R. Mordechai Shmuel… Ghirondi". His son, R. Efraim Refael Ghirondi, writes about his father: "A father to the poor… humble like Hillel, brought back many from sin… very well versed in responsa and Halacha, and also rabbis of his time posed halachic questions to him, and his wide-ranged responsa are recorded in his responsa book named Kevutzat Kesef which remains in manuscript…".
Six volumes. Vol. I (letters Alef-Bet), Venice, [1750]: [8], 124; 76 leaves. Vol. II (letters Gimmel-Dalet), Venice, [1753]: [4], 105 leaves, [1] folded leaf: Seder HaGet. Open tear to the foot of the last leaf, affecting text. Vol. III (letters He-Chet), Venice, [1796]: [1], 110 leaves. Leaf 47 is bound after leaf 48. Vol. IV (letters Chet-Tet), Venice, [1798]: [1], 93 leaves, [1] folded leaf. Vol. V (letters Yud-Lamed), Venice-Reggio, [1813]: [1], 108; 28 leaves. Lacking leaves 43-44. Vol. VI (letter Mem), Livorno, [1839]: [1], 241 leaves. 36 cm. Good condition. Stains. Original bindings with ornamented leather spines.

Letter from R. David Melamed and R. Yisrael HaKohen, Hebron emissaries, while in Italy. Livorno, February 24, 1725.
Letter of thanks, in Italian, upon receipt of donations from Ancona. The bottom of the letter contains signatures in Hebrew: "David Melamed" and "Yisrael HaKohen".
Avraham Yaari describes the adventures of these two emissaries at length (Shluchei Eretz Israel, pp. 488-491). They set out from Hebron in 1718, the first time two emissaries were sent together to Europe on behalf of the Hebron community. Until then, only one messenger would go at a time. Yaari writes: "It seems that the distress mounted then in Hebron to a point that its leaders felt it necessary to send out two of its finest scholars". Their expedition lasted at least seven years, until 1725. They first travelled around the various towns of Italy. In Pisa, they became friendly with the rabbi R. Refael Meldola, and their signatures appear on two occasions in his responsa work (Mayim Chaim, Orach Chaim, sections 27, 42). Their next stop was Germany, apparently followed by Holland and France. They then went around Silesia and Moravia, continuing on to Breslau and Nikolsburg (Mikulov). In Nikolsburg, they were imprisoned by the authorities on account of taking money out of the borders of the country. In Tishrei 1724, they returned to Italy, and at that time wrote an approbation for R. Yitzchak Lampronti's book Pachad Yitzchak (printed at the beginning of Vol. II, Venice 1753). Their responsa on the laws of Tefillin were later included in a different part of Pachad Yitzchak (Letter Tav, Tefillin entry), based on their correspondence with R. Yitzchak Lampronti. In one of their letters to him, dated Kislev 12, 1724, they wrote: "Early tomorrow we will make our way to Livorno". The letter here was written approximately three months later (for further details see Yaari, ibid).
Folded leaf, [1] written page. On the verso, short inscription in Italian with the following words in Hebrew: "Sages of Hebron" and "donation". 30 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folding marks.