Sepher Ha’Ikarim [Book of Fundamentals]. Two woodcut headings

AUCTION 26 | Monday, November 22nd, 2004 at 1:00

Exceptional Printed Books, Sixty-Five Hebrew Incunabula: The Elkan Nathan Adler-Wineman Family Collection

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Lot 20

ALBO, JOSEPH.

Sepher Ha’Ikarim [Book of Fundamentals]. Two woodcut headings

On f.1r. several owners' inscriptions, all in Sephardi hands. On f.1v. inscription of owner, “Judah ben Isaac Palomo from the city of Brusa [Turkey], I bought it in the city of Saloniki…from R. Abraham Baruch, who came to Saloniki from Safed.” Initial words floriated (f.2r.; f.7r.) Passages perceived as anti-Christian have been struck by the censor (f.7v.; f.19r.). Scattered scholarly marginalia. Crude drawing of bird on f.11r. On ff. 17r. and 18r. hands drawn in margin. On rear blank (f.108v.) censor's signature. There are several interesting variants: On f.31r. our last two lines read correctly, “nora tehiloth ve-al ha-sheni am' oseh pheleh. Ve-he'erich be-min ha-sheini ve-am' natitha yeminecha ve-go' nehalta be-ozecha ve-chu'.” One copy of JTSA reads incorrectly, “higbalta makom le-kibul ha-onesh ve-eino chein be-sachar ke-mo she-beiarnu.” However a second JTSA copy agrees with our text. Likewise on f. 96r. we read correctly, “le-phi mah she-nimtza le-raza”l she-am'…ve-ha-Ra”h ve-ha-Ramba”n z”l.” Whereas in one of two JTSA copies the text reads incorrectly, “le-phi mah she-nehetza (!) le-razal she-amar…ve-ha-Rah ve-ha-Ramban zl” [without apostrophes]. The “Ra”h” alluded to is actually “Rava”d of Posquières. Another typographical variant occurs on f.97v. We have the beginning word “ve-ulam” in block type; the JTSA copy has “ve-ulam” in Rashi script ff. 108, one leaf supplied from a slightly shorter copy. ff.1-5 remargined, tear to f.76 repaired. Dampstaining and some marginal worming. Modern calf. Sm. folio Vinograd, Soncino 15; Goff 64; Goldstein 30; Offenberg 3; Steinschneider, p. 1443, no. 5882, 1; Thes. A32; Wineman Cat. 20. Not in Cambridge University

Soncino: Joshua Solomon Soncino (and Sons?) 1486

Est: $30,000 - $40,000

PRICE REALIZED $40,000

COMPLETE COPY OF ALBO'S CLASSIC OF JEWISH THEOLOGY Joseph Albo’s Sepher Ha’Ikarim is a direct response to Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Faith, contained in the latter’s introduction to the tenth or eleventh chapter (depending on the arrangement) of Tractate Sanhedrin, “Perek Chelek.” Albo has simplified Jewish dogma by collapsing these into three principles of faith: the existence of God, divine revelation, and reward and punishment. In modern times, the German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn called into question the entire approach of the medieval theologians. To Mendelssohn’s thinking, Judaism is not a system of beliefs and credos, but rather a system of actions and behavior, i.e. mitzvoth. Perhaps a measure of the literary value of Sepher Ha’Ikarim is the fact that it was published, at the latest, a mere half century after the author’s passing. See EJ, Vol. II, col. 535