Printed leaf, two letters by R. Shimshon Wertheimer of Vienna, regarding debts of the Jerusalem Ashkenazi community. [Constantinople, 1713/1714]. Unknown printer.
Single surviving leaf of a 4-leaf pamphlet. Contains two letters send by R. Shimshon Wertheimer of Vienna, one to R. Yosef son of Yissachar, the Sultan's physician in Constantinople, regarding debts of the Jerusalem Ashkenazi community accumulated after the aliya of R. Yehuda HeChassid and his followers.
This pamphlet was originally composed of four leaves. Only two leaves survived from its first printing (found in the JTS library. Only one leaf exists in the NLI). It was reprinted in a different typography and with the omission of several particularly trenchant lines. Only one leaf of the second printing survived (see: Ya'ari, The Hebrew Printing Presses in Constantinople, pp. 162-163, no. 280). This is a leaf of the second printing.
The first page is titled: "This is also a letter of the aforementioned ga'on" and ends with "By the small Shimshon, and greetings to the sages of the Sephardic countries…". On the second page is a letter to R. Yosef the physician: "Vienna, Monday, the 4th of Elul 1712…R. Yosef son of Yissachar…". The end of the letter is incomplete.
In 1801, R. Yehuda HeChassid and a group of his followers ascended to Jerusalem. Soon after, R. Yehuda died leaving the Jerusalem Ashkenazi community burdened with debts to the Jerusalem Arab community. The donations from abroad scarcely covered the Jewish community's living needs, let alone their burgeoning debts. R. Shimshon Wertheimer of Vienna, the well-known "court Jew", headed the committee which attempted to resolve the problem of these debts and applied to the court of the Turkish Sultan via the court physician with a request "to find a compromise with the debtors". The correspondence was printed at that time in Constantinople, however, no complete copy survived.
Leaf, 33.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Repaired tears. Large tear affecting text, in bottom left corner.