The Semicha Controversy -Part 2

קח לך את יהושע--- וסמכת את ידך עליו במדבר כ"ז The Semicha Controversy          While the מהר"י בירב was Rav and Rosh Yeshiva in Tzfat, the (מהרלב"ח (לוי בן יעקב ן חביב was the Rov in Yerushalayim which was a much smaller community than Tzfat. Most of the Gedolim at that time lived in Tzfat. The סמיכה that R.Y.B. introduced was based on the Rambam in פירוש המשניות on the 1st Mishna in Sanhedrin and in the Yad Hl. Sanhedrin) who writes if כל חכמי א"י are מסכים then we can reintroduce the סמיכה. R.Y.B. didn't bother consulting with the חכמי ירושלים He held since רוב חכמי א"י were living in Tzfat and when the Rambam writes  כל חכמי א"י he meant רוב is good enough. R.L.B.Ch. was upset that the חכמי ירושלים were not consulted and their כבוד wasn't taken into consideration. He also held since the Rambam writes  כל חכמי א"י then רוב is not enough. The מהר"י בירב was מסמיך the מהרלב"ח hoping that this will end the מחלוקת. The מהר"י בירב wasn't successful and the מחלוקה kept on until after his death. In the last( סימן (קמז in שו"ת מהרלב"ח it is printed a 5 part קונדרס* from both the מהר"י בירב & מהרלב"ח arguing about the legitimacy and merits of the סמיכה They ended up attacking each other personally. The Machlokes was so intense that the מהר"י בירב had to flee Eretz Yisroel to Damascus. The authorities were told that he plans to revolt against the Government with the introduction of the סמיכה The סמיכה lasted  for only 4 generations The מהר"י בירב was מסמיך the Bais Yosef who was מסמיך  R.Moishe Alshich who was מסמיך R.Chaim Vital who was the last מוסמך in the world. * Both מהר"י בירב &מהרלב"ח spell קונדרס with a Daled ד instead a Tes ט