Manuscript – Responsum of Rabbi Shmuel Shemaya Papo, Grandson of the Remez, Endorsed by Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Ben ...

Manuscript – Responsum of Rabbi Shmuel Shemaya Papo, Grandson of the Remez, Endorsed by Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Ben Porat Rabbi of Senigallia – Polemic Regarding the Four Species, Italy, 1747 – Unprinted Responsum

Interesting halachic responsum handwritten and signed by R. Shmuel Shemaya Papo, grandson of the Remez. Ancona, [1747]. With a handwritten and signed endorsement by R. Yaakov Yisrael Ben Porat. Senigallia, 18th Kislev 1747.
Four pages handwritten by R. Shmuel Shemaya Papo, in Sephardi script (with many interlinear additions). At the foot of the last page, an endorsement handwritten by R. Yaakov Yisrael Ben Porat, in Italian script.
This responsum is part of a polemic which arose between Italian rabbis in 1747. Each year, before Sukkot, the Jewish community of Ragusa (today Dubrovnik) used to send the Four Species to the nearby Sarajevo community. In 1747, the Ragusa community had only one etrog. The Sarajevo community begged the Ragusa community to share the etrog, at least for several days, so that they too could fulfill the mitzvah. The Ragusa community was divided over how to respond. After Sukkot, a query was sent to R. David Pardo and he wrote a long responsum ruling that the Ragusa community had already fulfilled the mitzvah of the Four Species on the first day of Sukkot and therefore, they were obligated to send the etrog to the Sarajevo community to enable them to fulfill the mitzvah during the remaining days of the festival. R. Pardo's responsum started a halachic debate between several Italian rabbis. Some of the responsa on the subject were printed in R. David Pardo's Responsa Michtam L'David.
In this manuscript, R. Shmuel Shemaya Papo rejects the ruling of R. David Pardo, vehemently refuting his arguments.
To the best of our knowledge, both the responsum of R. Papo and the endorsement by R. Yaakov Yisrael Ben Porat were never printed.
R. Shmuel Shemaya Papo, rabbi of Ancona, was the son of R. Avraham David Papo – son-in-law and disciple of R. Moshe Zacuto (the Remez). He corresponded with the Chida after meeting him in 1754 (see enclosed material).
R. Yaakov Yisrael Ben Porat, an Italian Torah scholar, was a disciple of R. Yosef Fiametta in Ancona. From 1748, he served as rabbi of Senigallia.
[2] leaves (4 written pages). 24 cm. Good condition. Stains and wear. Marginal tears. Folding marks.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.