(MISHNAH).

A DEXTEROUSLY AND IDIOSYNCRATICALLY BOUND VOLUME RESULTING IN A TEXT SET OUT WITH GREAT INGENUITY Maimonides’ commentary to the Mishnah was printed together with the text of the entire Mishnah for each Order, with the exception of Tractates Shevu’oth, Makoth, Avodah Zarah and Niddah, which are printed with only the first lines of each Mishnah. In this copy, the compiler bound together the various sections of Maimonides’ Commentary with the intention of producing a single volume - with as full a version of the Mishnaic text as possible. It is intersting to note, that Rabinovicz was unable to trace Chulin and thus unable to determine whether this Tractate appears with the full or partial text of the Mishnah. It can now be confirmed that this Tractate appears with the full text. See R.N.N. Rabinovicz, Ma’amar al Hadpasat Hatalmud (1952) pp. 80-4; and M.J. Heller, Printing the Talmud (1992) pp.375-80. Maimonides’ commentary on the Mishnah was originally writen in Arabic and was translted into Hebrew by several scholars: Berachoth, Pe’ah, Demai, Shevu’oth by Judah al-Charizi; the remainder of Seder Zeraim and Seder Mo’ed, by Joseph ben Isaac ibn al-Fu’al; Seder Nashim by Jacob ben Moses of Huesca; Seder Nezikin, (with the exception of Avoth, which was translated by Samuel ibn Tibbon), by Solomon ben Jacob of Saragossa; Seder Taharoth by an anonymous scholar and various other parts by Israel Israeli. On the translators of Maimonides’ Halachic works, see JE, Vol. IX, pp.81-2 The present copy contains a rare introduction from the translator, Jacob ben Moses ben Achsai, including his correspondence with R. Solomon ibn Adret (RaSHB”A) gaining approbation for his corrections