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BULEH, Refael Moshe.

Sefer Get Mekushar.

Sefer Get Mekushar.

Stock Code 97713

Constantinople, Reuven and Nissim Ashkenazi, 1767

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In Jewish religious law Get Mekushar is a special document for Cohanim (Jewish High Priests) seeking to get a divorce from their wives (literally translates as 'tied-up divorce decree').

The ruling regarding this special divorce proceeding was ruled in a place where many Cohanim lived in ancient times. Being naturally more observant these High Priests would often find themselves in a situation when in the heat of an argument they would throw their wives out of the house and ask for a quick divorce, and later would cool down and change their minds but were unable to remarry the wife as it is forbidden for a Cohen to marry a divorcee, even their own ex-wife. Therefore, this document was invented, the production of which takes an extremely long time: every time one line of the document is written it must be folded and sewn before the next line is written, folded and sewn, and so on. This procedure would allow enough time for the hot-headed priest to come to his senses before the procedure was completed.

Rabbi Refael Moshe ben Yosef Buleh (?-1773) was one of the Chachmey Yerushalaim (the Wise Men of Jerusalem) and served as the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel (HaRishon LeZion) for a period of time. He was born in Thessaloniki and served as the Rabbi of Ancona, Italy, for some time, before travelling to the Holy Land and settling in Jerusalem. He would travel to Constantinople on fund-raising trips and in 1767 printed the offered book there. This publication brought him fame among the Mediterranean as well as European Jewish communities.

First edition, large 4to; contemporary-style mottled calf, spine richly gilt in compartments with red morocco label, lettered in English, gilt; top edge of some leaves closely shaved as a result of previous binding work, with partial loss to some of the titles; browning and slight worming to some leaves, a small closed tear to l.189; pen signature to title; [1], 193 ll.

Vinograd (Const.), 605; Yaari 458, p.218.

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