(PHILOSOPHY).
AUCTION 42 |
Thursday, December 18th,
2008 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Hebrew Printed Books, Manuscripts, Graphic & Ceremonial Art
Lot 313
(PHILOSOPHY).
Trino (Italy): Isaiah ben Jacob of Masseran, Scribe 1468-1471
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
ff. 1v.-27r. Mivchar Peninim with commentary in margins based on that by Samson of Joigny.
ff. 27v.-52v. Aliloth Devarim with commentary in margins by "Joseph." Colophon on f.52v. gives the date of completion as Tuesday, 13th Nissan, 1468.
While Graetz and Netanyahu assumed a Spanish origin of this pseudonymous work, Ta-Shema adduced proofs for a German origin. See I.Ta-Shema, "Where was 'Alilot-Devarim' Composed?," Alei Sefer 3 (1976), pp. 44-53. And more recently, R. Bonfil, "Sepher Aliloth Devarim: Perek be-toldoth he-haguth ha-yehudith be-me'ah ha-14," Eshel Be'er Sheva II (1980), pp. 229-264. Of late, Talya Fishman has described Alilot Devarim as belonging to a genre of "pseudonymous, "in-house" critiques of halakhah produced within the Rabbinic world." See T. Fishman, "Forging Jewish Memory" in: Carlebach, Efron and Myers eds., Jewish History and Jewish Memory: Essays in Honor of Y.H.Yerushalmi (1998), p. 81.
ff. 53r.-59v. Ru'ach Chen. Colophon on f.59v. gives date of completion, "47th day of Sephirah, 1468."
ff. 59v.-62r. Ben Porath. Colophon on f.62r.: "…I wrote it and completed it on the 9th of Teveth, 1471, here Trino…Isaiah ben Jacob."
ff. 62v.-63v. Brief philosophical extracts.
PROVENANCE: Solomon Halberstam to Montefiore Library, Ramsgate, England (Montefiore Ms. 266). See Sotheby's, New York, October 2004, Lot 223