Shulhan ʹarūkh Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ / Me'irat Einayim

All notes by Chaim Meiselman: notes This is ostensibly the fourth printing of the commentary ’Me’irat ’Einayyim’ on the Shulḥan ’Arukh Ḥoshen ha-Mishpaṭ by R. Joshua Falk ha-kohen. In Steinschneider (op.cit.), the princeps for this commentary is the Prague 1614 (printed by R. Moshe b. Betsalel ha-kohen) and another by the same printer in 1628; Krakow n.d., appx. 1670 by the Meiseles press; 1670-1 in Wilhermsdorff by Eisek Jüddels; finally, the current Berlin 1717. Friedberg (op.) notes a 1606 princeps; I highly doubt this, because of the lengthy title note and historical digressions in the Haskamot in the current Berlin 1717 edition. - Another larger edition with other elements (incorporating Me’irat ’Einayyim with other classic commentaries on Karo’s code, including Shabbetai ha-kohen’s Śifte Kohen) was printed at Fürth in 1691 by R. Joseph b. Solomon Schnur. This edition is the first edition for the portions of commentary by R. Eisek b. Yisra’el Jaffe, who assisted Baruch Buchbinder with the printing of the edition. Haskamot: Jacob b. Isaac of Posen, 28 Sivan 1715; Barukh Kahana Rapaport of Fürth, presiding over the Grodno rabbinate, signing in Berlin, 1715; the latter notes the scarcity of the Me’irat ’Einayyim across Central and Eastern Europe - and the celebratory occasion of the current edition. Chronogram: שנת אני ה’ ב.ע.ת.ה. אחישנה לפ"ק (1717). This is a quotation of Isaiah 60:22: "I the LORD will speed it in due time", a reference to the arrival of the Messiah; perhaps this is a hint toward the devastation in Brandenburg and Prussia after the Thirty Years’ War and the subsequent difficulties and hardships. Contains a dedication to "Friedrich Wilhelm, king of Prussia, and Kurfürst (i.e. Prince-elector) Brandenburg". This is referring to Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (1620-1688), who was known as "der Große Kurfürst", the great elector. At the time of printing, Frederick I of Prussia, son to Frederick William, ruled an inheritance of Brandenburg-Prussia from Berlin; the imprint statement reads "Berlin ha-birah", Berlin, the [seat of the] capitol. Title page is highly ornamental in an architectural scheme, with the early black Prussian Order of the Black Eagle in the upper framing. Heavy architecture with adorning shapes and wreaths detail the picture; current writer notes the similarity of this scheme (sans the German imperial imagery) to the Amsterdam prints by Benveniste during the 17th century. Long extra-title note details the history of this printing. It commits that the author permitted the printing of this commentary to Shulhan Arukh Hoshen ha-Mishpat to his students in Lvov, who brought it to Prague to be printed; this was interrupted by the death of the author (in 1614). On his deathbed, the author implored of his son to print his works (including the commentaries Perishah and Derishah on Jacob b. Asher’s Turim); the printer notes that the author’s son couldn’t even fund half of this endeavor. Printed with the introductions of the author to this commentary. The text of the Shulhan Arukh (with the gloss-commentaries of Moses Isserles) straddles the margin, and is dwarfed by Joshua Falk’s Me’irat ’Enayim covering the gutter-sides. Wide margins; Steinschneider notes that the sizes of print and paper vary for this edition. references Friedberg, Beit Eked Sefarim, mem 131 : 7 (Vol. II, pg. 533). Steinschneider, M. Cat. Libr. Hebr. Bodl., 5940 : 86/87