Shemesh Tzedakah – First and Only Edition – Venice 1743
Sefer Shemesh Tzedakah, She’eilot U’teshuvot, two volumes in one, Vol. I on Orach Chaim and Yoreh De’ah, and Vol. II on Even Ha’ezer and Choshen Mishpat, by Rabbeinu Shimshon Morpurgo, published by his son, Rabbi Moshe Chai Shabbetai, printed by Vindramin, Venice 1743.
Both title pages are beautifully illustrated in the style of the time, and at the beginning of the sefer, there are approbations from the rabbis of Amsterdam, Livorno, and Ancona. Some of the approbations are written in the form of eloquent poetry.
On the frontispiece, there is a stamp of: The Gaon "Rabbi Baruch Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the community of the Gaon of Vilna and formerly Rabbi of Vitebsk."
Rabbeinu Shimshon Morpurgo (1680–1740) was the Av Beis Din of Ancona and one of the greatest rabbis and halachic authorities in Italy. He was born in the city of Gradisca and learned Torah from his father-in-law, Rabbi Menasheh Hefetz, the son-in-law of the Maharam Chagiz, whom he regarded as his main teacher. Later, he studied in the yeshiva of Rabbi Shmuel Abuhav. After his marriage, Rabbeinu became involved in the study of medicine, and in 1709 he was appointed as the Av Beis Din of Ancona until his passing. Rabbeinu was considered one of the most prominent halachic decisors of his time and gave his opinions in many of the public halachic debates of the era. His sefer was published only after his passing and is quoted by many of the great halachic authorities.
