Sepher Ha’chinuch.

AARON HALEVI OF BARCELONA (Attributed to)

Giovanni di Gara

Venice

1600

Second edition. The Tzvi Hirsch Berlin Copy, with his signature and extensive autographed marginal notations.

Vinograd, Venice 894; Habermann, di Gara 201

The purpose of the Chinuch, is a pedagogic one, to ellucidate the precepts derived from each weekly portion. The author adopted a table-format of the precepts, elaborated by Maimonides, and re-arranged it to accord with the chapters of the Bible where the precepts are found. He explains the manner of derivation of each precept, the ethical reasons for its performance and above all, he defines the application of the precept to life. Waxman points out the significance of the Sepher Ha’chinuch in the codification literature. While not a code itself, the broad statement of each precept, its definintion and description helped codifiers in arriving at a decision in each case. See M. Waxman, Vol. II p.137. The extensive autographed marginal notes in the hand of R. Tzvi Hirsch Berlin are both of halachic and bibliographical importance. In a number of notes, he casts doubt on the assertion that Aaron HaLevi of Barcelona was the author. For a brief discussion on the suggested identity of the author of this work, see EJ, VIII 1126-27.