Response to the Apostate Pfefferkorn, Ashkenaz. 15th-16th Centuries. Historic Discovery

Response to the Apostate Pfefferkorn, Ashkenaz. 15th-16th Centuries. Historic Discovery

Rare manuscript, apparently from the 15th-early 16th centuries with two parts: Response to claims by the apostate Pfefferkorn, and the controversy in the Ulma community. Extremely important and interesting manuscript, with an interesting historic revelation.

* The first part [pp. 1-9]: Response to claims by the slanderous apostate, Pfefferkorn. He was a famous apostate, also known in this manuscript as TK [-treifah katzav (butcher)] who caused Jews to stumble and fed them carrion and treifahs, may G-d have mercy. This apostate, together with a friend among his associates the Dominican priests, printed several books inciting against Jews. In his second book, Juden Dichte [Jews' Confession] printed in 1508, he mocks the custom of kapparot and other Jewish customs - and as a response opposing him, this compilation was composed [Refer to Y. M. Peles, Tzfunot 5 p. 17]. In Peles' opinion, this author of the compilation is Rabbi Yochanan Luria, author of Meshivat Nafesh. Lacking the beginning.

* The second part [pp. 9-16] is a lengthy letter from Rabbi Moshe of Lichtenfels to the geonim and leaders of the country. In his letter, a resident of Ulma complains about a scholar, leader, one of the community's wealthy and member of his own family, who took control of ritual slaughter, taking power with force and not honestly. Rabbi Moshe's language is that of scholarship spiced with Talmudic rhetoric. The final leaf bears an additional passage from the letter about the aforementioned controversy.

Important historic revelation: The letter, as stated, was written by Rabbi Moshe of Lichtenfels. His name is known from a declaration written in 1467 regarding the study of Moreh Nevuchim and his reservations with several interpretations brought there. The declaration was publicized by Ch. Frankel Goldschmidt in the introduction to Sefer HaMakneh by Rabbi Joselmann of Rosheim (p. 22), where she brought the hypothesis that Rabbi Moshe of Lichten is actually Rabbi Moshe Tzart, mentioned by Rabbi Joselmann of Rosheim as rabbi of Ulma, who was forcibly converted to Christianity and then fled to Jerusalem where he publicly returned to Judaism. This conjecture was accepted by several later scholars [refer to the enclosed material]. However, from this letter, we clearly see that this is an error and these are two distinct sages named Rabbi Moshe, as Rabbi Moshe Tzart is mentioned twice!! in this letter from Rabbi Moshe of Lichten (pp. 5, 6).

[16] pp, 14x17 cm. Thick, high-quality paper. Hebrew and ancient Yiddish-Deutch. Apparently copies.

Fine condition. Stains. New binding.