Biur al HaTorah [Kabbalistic commentary to the Pentateuch]

AUCTION 44 | Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 1:00

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

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Lot 47

BACHIAH BEN ASHER

Biur al HaTorah [Kabbalistic commentary to the Pentateuch]

Title with prominent printers mark depicting the Tower of Rimini on title (Yaari no. 6). Initial letters of opening word within white-on-black decorative historiated engraved border. Inscriptions of former owner on title in Hebrew and Ladino. Lengthy faded incription on final leaf, scholarly marginal notes in a Sephardic hand especially on the kabbalistic portions, (notes are signed "Yaakov" in many places and "Yaakov HaKatan" on f. 90a, cites a comment he heard from R. Samuel Arnaki on f. 74b, signed "Hagoleh mimakom lemakom, Yonah ben Binyamin on f. 160b) ff. (260). Title silked, variously remargined, final leaf repaired with minor loss, few leaves supplied from another copy, few tears, small hole on ff. 124 affecting few letters. Modern tooled morocco. Folio Vinograd, Rimini 5; Mehlman 640; not in Adams

Rimini: Gershom Soncino 1524-26

Est: $6,000 - $9,000

PRICE REALIZED $5,000

Bachiah ben Asher ben Chalawa (13th-century), Dayan of Saragossa, was a Kabbalist of the School of R. Solomon ben Adret of Barcelona. His Commentary is one of the most influential encyclopedic works on the Torah utilizing a wide variety of sources. Noteworthy are his Kabbalistic references, Midrashic interpretations as well as citations from lost Midrashim. For an excellent work on the Kabbalistic sources of R. Bachiah, see E. Gottlieb, Mekorotav shel R. Bachiah...Be’kitvei R. Yoseph Gikatilla in: Bar Ilan University Annual Vol. I (1969) pp. 306-26; and R. Yitzchak Sagi Nahor Ve’talmidav- Mekorot R. Bachiah Be’kitvei Ha’mekubalim, Bar Ilan University Annual, Samuel Bialoblocki Memorial Volume, (1964) pp.215-50