Babylonian Talmud – Amsterdam-Frankfurt am Main, 1715-1722 – Complete Set in Twelve Volumes

Babylonian Talmud – Amsterdam-Frankfurt am Main, 1715-1722 – Complete Set in Twelve Volumes
Talmud edition printed by R. Leib son of R. Yosef Shmuel, complete set in twelve volumes. Amsterdam and Frankfurt am Main, [1715-1722].
The dayan R. Yehuda Aryeh Leib son of R. Yosef Shmuel of Krakow began printing the Amsterdam Babylonian Talmud edition in 1714. He printed 16 parts, until Tractate Ketubot, and was then compelled to interrupt the printing in 1717. In 1720, he resumed the printing of the edition in Frankfurt am Main (in the printing firm of Johann Kölner), from Tractate Kiddushin onwards. When he completed the printing of the entire Talmud, he printed once again the tractates he had printed earlier in Amsterdam (see: R. N.N. Rabinowitz, Maamar al Hadpasat HaTalmud, Jerusalem 1952, pp. 109-111). The present set is comprised both of volumes printed in Amsterdam and volumes printed in Frankfurt am Main (all the volumes printed in Amsterdam are present, apart from the Berachot volume which was part of the volumes reprinted in Frankfurt, with all the rest of the edition printed in Frankfurt). The last tractate printed in Amsterdam (Ketubot) is bound together with the first tractate printed in Frankfurt (Kiddushin).
On the title pages, the publisher thanks R. Yissachar Bermann Segal of Halberstadt for allowing him to print the present Talmud edition even though the copyright term set by the rabbis in their approbation to R. Yissachar's Talmud edition (printed in Frankfurt an der Oder 1697-1699) had not elapsed yet. On the title pages of the volumes printed in Frankfurt, the publisher also thanks the renowned philanthropist R. Shimshon Wertheim (Wertheimer) of Vienna, who donated "a tremendously large sum" towards the printing expenses.
In some copies of this edition, the title page contains a lengthy notice in Latin, describing the contents of the tractate and declaring that it was printed according to the censorship of Marco Marini in the Basel edition. This notice appears on most title pages in the present set.
This edition includes many emendations and additions: the text was revised based on the corrections of the Maharshal and the Maharsha; the Masoret HaShas and Ein Mishpat compositions were greatly expanded and added in places where they didn't previously appear; previously unpublished sections of Tosafot from manuscripts were added; and more. Other important additions were included in the tractates printed in Frankfurt am Main: "Index to the Laws of the Rosh", in tractates Kiddushin, Gittin and Nedarim and in Order Nezikin; Tosafot for tractate Horayot (printed here for the first time); the Chesed Avraham commentary to Rambam's Shemonah Perakim; many illustrations relating to the Talmudic commentaries, including a plan of the Second Temple (at end of tractate Middot). Likewise, the Rambam's commentary on Mishnayot was printed at end of each tractate (see list of all the additions and innovations in this edition in Rabinowitz's Maamar al Hadpasat HaTalmud, pp. 101-105; 110-111). R. N.N. Rabinowitz praises the superiority of this edition: "…and this edition is superior to all previous editions, for its great value, additions and glosses, and it served as a prototype for all future editions…" (Rabinowitz, p. 111).
Twelve volumes, as follows:
1. Berachot, with Mishnayot Order Zera'im, with commentaries. Frankfurt am Main, [1721-1722].
2. Shabbat and Eruvin. Amsterdam, [1715-1716].
3. Pesachim. Amsterdam, [1716]. Betzah. Frankfurt am Main, [1721]. Chagigah and Mo'ed Katan. Amsterdam, [1716].
4. Rosh Hashanah, Taanit. Amsterdam, [1717]. Yoma. Frankfurt am Main, [1721]. Sukkah. Amsterdam, [1717]. Shekalim, Megillah. Amsterdam, [1716].
5. Yevamot. Amsterdam, [1717]. Ketubot. Amsterdam, [1716]. Kiddushin, Frankfurt am Main, [1720].
6. Gittin, Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah. Frankfurt am Main, [1720].
7. Bava Kama, Bava Metzia. Frankfurt am Main, [1720].
8. Bava Batra, Avoda Zara. Frankfurt am Main, [1720].
9. Sanhedrin, Shevuot, Makkot, Eduyot, Horayot (with Avot DeRabbi Natan, minor tractates, Tractate Avot with the commentary of the Rambam and Chesed LeAvraham and Halachot Ketanot by the Rosh). Frankfurt am Main, [1720].
10. Zevachim. Frankfurt am Main, [1721]. Menachot, Bechorot. Frankfurt am Main, [1720].
11. Chullin. Frankfurt am Main, [1721]. Arachin, Temurah, Keritot, Me'ilah, Kinnim, Tamid, Middot. Frankfurt am Main, [1720]. The chronogram on the title page of Chullin indicates 1723, yet it was presumably printed in 1721.
12. Niddah, Mishnayot Order Taharot with three commentaries. Frankfurt am Main, [1720].
Ownership inscriptions and stamp of "R. Yitzchak Heilperin of Lublin" on the title page of Tractate Berachot (the stamp reads: "Iźbica Lub."). Several ownership inscriptions on the title page of Tracate Bava Kama (some deleted), including: "This Gemara belongs to the community leader, R. Gumpel…"; "Gumpel… of Frankfurt an der Oder"; "Belongs to the exalted leader, my beloved R. Elazar Kann of The Hague…".
Set in twelve volumes. • Berachot and Order Zera'im: [3], 2-100; 87 leaves. • Shabbat and Eruvin: [5], 2-191; 117, 119-130 leaves. • Pesachim, Betzah, Chagigah and Moed Katan: 121, 121-138; 51; 26, 26-27; 44 leaves. • Rosh Hashanah, Taanit, Yoma, Sukkah: 41; 35, [1]; 95; 68; 13; 36, 36-38 leaves. • Yevamot, Ketubot, Kiddushin: 148; [2], 2-145, 150-153; 97 leaves. • Gittin, Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah: 116; 59, 61-106; 69; 52 leaves. Lacking leaf 60 of Tractate Nedarim. • Bava Kama, Bava Metzia: 146; 158, [1] leaves. • Bava Batra, Avoda Zara: 219; 97 leaves. Tractate Avoda Zara without title page (many copies of this tractate were printed without title page). • Sanhedrin, Shevuot, Makkot, Eduyot, Horayot, Avot DeRabbi Natan, Minor Tractates, Tractate Avot and Halachot Ketanot of Rabbenu Asher: 129; 61; 28; 14; 16, [2]; 33; [1], 38-52 leaves. • Zevachim, Menachot, Bechorot: [2], 2-121, 121-126; 113, [4]; 73 leaves. • Chullin, Arachin, Temurah, Keritot, Me'ilah, Kinnim, Tamid, Middot: 177; 36, [1]; 36; 30, [1]; 36, [1], 37-38, [2], 41-43 leaves. • Niddah, Mishnayot Order Taharot with three commentaries: 88; 178 leaves.
Approx. 35-36 cm. Thick, high-quality paper in many copies. Overall good to fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears in various places, including large tears to some title pages, affecting text, partially repaired with paper. Large tears to some leaves (particularly to two volumes of Order Nashim, Tractates Nedarim and Kiddushin), with significant damage and loss to text, repaired with paper. Worming, affecting text in various places. Many stamps and handwritten inscriptions. New, uniform leather bindings.