Abudraham [Commentary to the Prayer Book]

ABUDRAHAM, DAVID BEN JOSEPH

Eliezer (Toledano)

Lisbon

1489

FIRST EDITION. Double columns. On f.1v first letter “beith” richly floriated and entire page within historiated metalcut border by Alfonso de Cordoba. On ff. 23r.-24v. diagrams of the Temple altar in Jerusalem. On ff.134r.,137, 139v.-140r. calendric tables of “Moladoth.” Inserted between ff.136-7 a variant of the calendric table. Scholarly marginalia. On f.118r. portions of Aleinu prayer censored

Vinograd, Lisbon 4; Goff 36; Goldstein 92; Offenberg 1; Steinschneider, p. 859, no. 4784, 1; Thes. B19; Wineman Cat. 57. Not in Cambridge University

THE SECOND BOOK PRINTED IN LISBON. Wide-Margined Copy. COMPLETE David Abudraham composed his work on the prayer book in Seville in 1340. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of biographical data concerning the author. (The name is of interesting significance. In Arabic “darham” is both a weight and a name of currency. In Morocco, for instance, “darham” is the currency). Though utilizing earlier works of Spanish, Provencal, French, and German origins, the work abounds in original and thought-provoking interpretations of the prayers and Torah readings as well as including astronomical and calendrical tables. The section on the Passover Hagadah has been included in several collections