Peirush HaTorah [commentary to the Pentateuch].

<<THE EARLIEST KNOWN HEBREW MANUSCRIPT WRITTEN IN KASTORIA, MACEDONIA.>> The town of Kastoria is located in western Macedonia, today, Greece. Just one other Hebrew manuscript is extant from Kastoria, ibn Shu’eib’s Derashoth (Paris ms. 237) written in 1437. This is more than half-a-century after the present Abraham ibn Ezra manuscript which has just recently surfaced and has been entirely unknown until now. <<ABRAHAM IBN EZRA:>> It would be difficult to find a medieval sage as peripatetic as Abraham ibn Ezra (1089-1164). A native of Tudela, Spain, he lived at different times in North Africa, Italy, France, and England. Despite the maverick nature of his commentary - which does not accept rabbinic tradition uncritically - he was revered throughout the ages. Ibn Ezra belonged to a school of Spanish pashtanim, who sought - by heavy reliance on Hebrew grammar and linguistic analysis - to arrive at the simple meaning of the Bible. In this respect, they differed greatly from the French school of Rashi and the Tosaphists, whose commentaries are informed by the midrashim of Rabbinic lore, and even from later Spanish exegetes, such as Nachmanides, whose commentary makes ample use of Jewish mysticism. Nonetheless, time and time again Ibn Ezra concludes a discussion by commenting to the effect that “we rely on our tradition.” Thus, after all of his forays into the uncharted world of peshat, ultimately, Ibn Ezra remains faithful to traditional Halacha. Second to Rashi, the ibn Ezra commentary to the Bible was the most widely studied. It’s appeal was due not only to his preference for”peshat” and concise style, but moreso, for his wit, critical and thought provoking spirit, and deep insight into human nature. Numerous super-commentaries have been written to his commentary. To date, the most scholarly printed edition of ibn Ezra’s Peirush HaTorah is that edited by Asher Weizer (Mosad HaRav Kook, 1976). The present extensive manuscript would add much to the study of ibn Ezra and his Biblical commentary as it contains many variances and indeed entirely new passages. A selection of examples is presented below, although clearly, much further in-depth study will reveal many more invaluable literary insights. <<UNPUBLISHED NEW MATERIAL:>> New phrases and indeed entire new passages of commentary appear in this manuscript that are not in the standard printed editions of the ibn Ezra: Bereishith ch. 6, v. 24: Following the final words in the standard printed version “VeHaMaskil yavin” (the scholar will understand) the manuscript (f. 13b) adds the intriguing phrase “Vegam hametargem hodia lanu ha’emeth” (the translator told us the truth). * Shemoth ch. 1, v. 20: The manuscript (f. 38a) contains a 2-line phrase citing Rav Saadiah Gaon not in the standard edition. * Shemoth ch. 1 v. 12: The manuscript (f. 37a) has a grammatical comment on the word “Vayakutzu” which is not in the standard version. * Shemoth ch. 2 v. 1: The manuscript (f. 38b) contains five lines of explanatory phrases on the relationship between Amram and Yocheved. not in the standard version. * Shemoth ch. 2, v. 11: The manuscript (f. 40b) states that Moses did not kill the Egyptian utilizing God’s Ineffable Name, but rather with a spear or a rock. * Shemoth ch. 3, v. 2: The manuscript (f. 41b) has a six-line discussion pertaining to the Burning Bush not in the standard version. * Shemoth ch. 3, v. 6: The manuscript (f. 42a) has an additional 16-line passage discussing the role of the Angel not in the standard version. * Shemoth ch. 15, v. 20: The manuscript (f. 80b) contains a commentary concerning Miriam taking a tambourine in her hand and singing with the women. The standard edition has no commentary on this verse at all. <<VARIANCES:>> The manuscript contains better readings and additional clarifying words not in the printed edition. Example of variances: Bereishith ch. 12, v. 20, the interchange of “Hanachon” be’einai (correct to my eyes) in the standard printed edition to “HaYashar” be’einai (pleasing to my eyes) (see f. 20b). * Entitling Rashi with the appendage Rabbeinu Shlomo “HaTzarfathi” (of France) (f. 23a) whereas the printed version only calls him Rabbeinu Shlomo. * The standard printed version of Bereishith ch. 37, v. 1 reads VeYaakov yashav be’eretz hanivchereth (Jacob lived in the chosen land) to which Asher Weizer (Mosad HaRav Kook ed.) adds a footnote: “hi Eretz Canaan” (this means the land of Canaan). This manuscript (f. 25b) explicitly adds be’eretz “Canaan” hanivchereth within the text, thus eliminating the need for a footnote. * Devarim, ch. 1, v. 1 - after the words mekomoth lo nizkaru beparshath Eileh Massei (places not mentioned in Massei) the manuscript (f. 240b) adds the clarification “chutz MeChatzeiroth”(except for Chatzeiroth) which is not in the standard version. The manuscript also contains short poetic verses at the end of each Book of the Pentateuch that do not appear in the printed version. This is but a small sampling of the many important variances and interesting additions in the manuscript, many of which have been noted by a previous owner and indicated with a red mark. <<THE SCRIBE:>> The scribe, Shevet Gad ben Yaakov Mikahal HaKadosh Kastoria, is not known to have written any other Hebrew manuscript apart from this one. In his lengthy colophon (appears here as f. 239b) he writes of his hope that the manuscript will allow him to attain merit to “complete others, and truly learn them, and observe all the words of the holy Torah.” Thus it would appear that the scribe was not just a copyist but an aspiring scholar. The colophon also contains a short poem (not published in the printed edition) attributed by the scribe to ibn Ezra himself. <<KASTORIA:>> A Jewish presence in the fortress town of Kastoria is recorded as early as the reign of Justinian (527–65). In the 11th-century, the community was headed by Tobias b. Eliezer, author of Lekach Tov. One of his disciples was Meir of Kastoria, author of Me’or Einayim, a midrashic exegesis on the Torah. Many Jewish refugees settled in the city, in particular Jews from Hungary who escaped the pillage of the Crusaders. Noteworthy was the 14th-century Haham Leon Judah ben Moses Moskoni, who wrote on the Torah commentary of Abraham ibn Ezra and the paytan David ben Eliezer, who composed the Machzor Kastoria. *When the Ottomans conquered the city from its Albanian rulers in 1385, the Jewish community was known as a Greek-speaking Romaniot culture. The city would remain under Ottoman rule until the First Balkan War (1912), when Greece took it. Under German occupation Kastorian Jewry came to an end in late March 1944 when the entire community was condemned and sent to Auschwitz. This newly discovered 14th-century manuscript, from a part of the world where practically no Hebrew manuscripts are extant, can lend important weight to codicologicaly determine how Hebrew manuscripts were composed. See Ibn Ezra, Peirushei HaTorah, edited by Asher Weizer, Mosad HaRav Kook, Jerusalem, 1976; N. Ben Menachem, Mefarshei ibn Ezra al HaMikra in: Aresheth Vol. III, pp. 71-92; M. Molho, Histoire des Israélites de Castoria (1938); B. Rivlin, Kastoria, in: Pinkas Kehillot Yavan (1999) 372–81. With thanks to Dr. Benjamin Richler, Director (retired) of the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts, National Library of Israel, Jerusalem for his research assistance.