Shu"t HaBa"ch, First Edition, Frankfurt am Main 1697.

Shu"t HaBa"ch, First Edition, Frankfurt am Main 1697.

Sefer She'elot U'Teshuvot HaBa"ch by the rabbi of the Jewish people, Rabbi Yoel Sirkis, Av Beit Din of Krakow, and author of the important commentary 'Bayit Chadash' on Arba Turim. Frankfurt am Main, 1697. 

 First edition of one of the most renowned fundamental books in halachic literature. Title page with pictures of angels and cherubs.

Rabbi Yoel Sirkis [1621-1740] was one of the leading and most prominent adjudicators of halachah of all generations. He authored the Bayit Chadash (ב"ח) commentary on Arba Turim. He is referred to as 'The Ba"ch' after his book. He was a disciple of Rabbi Leibush's of Lublin (rabbi of the author of Shla"h). He served as rabbi in Pozna (currently Poznań, Poland) and in additional cities, including: Lobmla, Mezhibuzh, Belz, Brisk and finally Krakow and environs, where he served until he passed away. Alongside his greatness in Torah, he was also admired by Chassidic leaders, and it is accepted among them as an oral tradition that before the Ba"ch's passing, Gehinnom was cooled in his honor for forty days so that he could extract souls of the wicked from there.

Responsa no. 127 of this work, on the permissibly of using Christian tunes for Jewish prayer, was removed from later editions. Indeed this was not the only lenient position the author took; for example he permitted the reading of all subject matter on Sabbath and was instrumental in establishing the now universally accepted norm of Mechirath Chametz.

 [4] 106, leaves, 29.5 cm.

See the listing in the Bibliographic Project that some copies have only 4 pages at the beginning instead of 6. Lacking the 2 page index at end.

Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod 299,

Excellent condition, Sumptuous full leather binding.