Bidspirit auction | ERGAS, JOSEPH.

ERGAS, JOSEPH. - Divrei Yoseph [responsa].. First Edition. Title within three-piece ornamental border. A wide-margined, large-paper copy. ff. (1), 110. Some dampstaining, strip removed from f. 83 not affecting text, final leaf repaired, decorative pencil doodling. Modern morocco. Sm. folio. Vinograd, Livorno 32. Abraham Meldola, Livorno: 1742. With an interesting introduction by Ergas’s disciple R. Malachi HaKohen (author of Yad Malachi) which includes a detailed biography of the author. Ergas (1685-1730) established a Yeshiva in Pisa and later served as Rabbi of Livorno. In addition to his halachic scholarship, Ergas is renowned for his polemics against Nehemia Hayon refuting Sabbatian belief. See E. Carlebach, The Pursuit of Heresy (1990) pp. 137-43.