Bi'ur al ha-Torah [commentary to the Pentateuch]

AUCTION 42 | Thursday, December 18th, 2008 at 1:00

Fine Judaica: Hebrew Printed Books, Manuscripts, Graphic & Ceremonial Art

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Lot 69

BACHYA BEN ASHER

Bi'ur al ha-Torah [commentary to the Pentateuch]

Title letters and incipits within decorative woodcut vignettes. On final page, signatures of Censors: "Luigi da Bologna del Ordine de Sa[nto] Domenico, 1600";and Fra. Gir[olamo] da Durallano, 1640" (Wm. Popper, The Censorship of Hebrew Books, pl. IV, no. 1; pl. III, no. 4) ff. 60, 81-286. Title missing lower portion, text unaffected. Wormed with some loss. Later blind-tooled crushed morocco, rubbed, gilt-stamped on front "Chaim Mashiach." 4to Vinograd, Riva 4; not in Adams

Riva di Trento: Jacob Marcaria & Joseph Ottolenghi 1559

Est: $1,200 - $1,500

PRICE REALIZED $1,200

Bachya ben Asher ben Chalawa (13th century), dayan of Saragossa, was a kabbalist of the school of R. Solomon ben Adret of Barcelona. In Bachya's Commentary, each verse is elucidated using four different methods: Peshat (literal), Midrash (homiletical), Sechel (rational), and Kabbalah (mystical). A critical edition of Bachya's Commentary to the Pentateuch was published by C.B. Chavel (1970). See EJ, Vol. IV, pp. 104-105; E. Gottlieb, The Kabbalah in the Writings of R. Bahya ben Asher (1970)