Manuscript – three pages, copied from a manuscript of the Kabbalist Rabbi Binyamin Hakohen, from the leading Mekubalim of Italy. At the beginning, a copy of the opening words written by Rabbi Moshe Ḥagiz and Rabbi Shlomo Ailion , the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam – Nissan 1711 – Italian script.
The content of these pages is a response to a pamphlet named “Hilchot MIssim”, printed in Amsterdam in 1710. In that pamphlet were four reaponsa from four different Rabbonim, amongst them Rabbi Shlomo Ailion and Rabbi Moshe Ḥagiz, regarding whether the community leaders are allowed, on their own, to impose a tax on visitors coming from other towns to participate in the town market. All four responsa were to the negative, and forbade such a tax.
In this document, on the two internal pages, is a copy of the response of Rabbi Binyamin Hakohen, who explains that the Rabbonim were not told all the details of the story, and that several key elements were deliberately withheld from them to effect their rulings. On the first page are transcribed background and apologies written by Rabbi Shlomo Ailion and Rabbi Moshe Ḥagiz. These pages were, apparently, transcribed by one of the communal scribes in Italy, without the signatures.
Rabbi Binyamin Hakohen’s words were printed in the encyclopedia “Pachad Yitzchak”, vol. I, pg. 65/a (which also includes the original responsum , which is omitted in the manuscript), while the opening statements were printed there in page 66/b.
[2] sh. (3 written pp.) 21cm. Moisture stains. Wear, tears on margins. Fold marks. Fair condition.
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