Ma’ayan Ganim
AUCTION 44 |
Thursday, June 25th,
2009 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Hebrew Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Graphic & Ceremonial Art
Lot 41
ARCHIVOLTI, SAMUEL D’
Ma’ayan Ganim
Venice: Alvise Bragadin 1553
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
PRICE REALIZED $1,300
Containing some 25 letters, including love letters, written in metrical form designed to serve as templates for students of this classic literary genre.
Ma’ayan Ganim contains revolutionary ideas concerning women and Torah study. The Author reasons that the prohibition of teaching Torah to women was directed at a girl's father, but if a woman should take upon herself Torah
study, she should be encouraged to do so. (See Ma'ayan Ganim, ff. 44-45). This opinion was cited by R. Baruch Epstein in his works Torah Temimah and Mekor Baruch. Regarding several scholars not familiar with the original citation - no doubt due to the rarity of this edition - see D. Rabinowitz, "Rayna Batya and Other Learned Women: A Re-evaluation of Rabbi... Epstein's Sources," in: Tradition, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Spring 2001), pp. 55-69 (esp. n. 51)