The Rivash Responsa – Constantinople 1546 – First Edition – Signatures and Long Glosses

Halachic responsa by Rabbi Isaac ben Sheshet Perfet, the Rivash.
Constantinople, 1546-1547. Eliezer Soncino printing press.
On the title page, an inscription and nice, curly calligraphic signature of David Parhi. On the reverse side of the title page, an additional inscription and signature of Ya'akov Ha'levi. A signature and stamps of Rabbi Shaul Chanich Henich, the son of Rabbi AvrahamAryeh Leibush Berliner.
On the margins of the book, six passages of novellae in Sephardic script and several short glosses.
The copy lacks several leaves of the indices (it contains only 10 leaves of indices) and the colophon leaf.
This book was printed and sold booklet by booklet. This was customary in Constantinople from the beginning of the 13th century to the beginning of the 19th century. The custom enabled the Jewish printers to print and the Jewish buyers to buy large books. On the other hand, the custom led to it that many of the booklets, which were not bound together, were eventually lost. This explains why so many copies of the Rivash responsa lack their indices (which were printed in a separate booklet) as well as the colophon. The 2 last leaves of indices are according to the 48 booklets that had been printed of the complete book.
Condition: Very Good. Wide margins. The back binding is missing, causing the book to fall apart. Dampness stains on many leaves.