Levush Malchuth [Elucidations and novellea to the Shulchan Aruch] Orach Chaim: Levush Hatechleth, Levush Hachur

JAFFE, MORDECHAI BEN ABRAHAM.

Kalonymus b. Mordecai Jaffe

Lublin

1590

FIRST EDITION. Separate title for Levush Hachur. With two leaves of geometrical diagrams

Vinograd Lublin 46; Steinschneider 6229, 1("ed. rarissimam non delineat")

RARE FIRST EDITION. With eleven additional leaves at end of Part II not noted by Vinograd. A Halachic work issued as a “midway between two extremes: the lengthy Beith Yoseph of Karo on the one hand, and the Shulchan Aruch with Isserles’ Mappah, which was too brief on the other.” EJ IX cols.1263-4. The author was one of the greatest scholars of his time. He was especially renowned for his wide-ranging interests. His ten Levushim run the gamut from classical halacha, biblical exegisis, philosophy, astronomy and kabbalah. He studied under the great talmudic scholars of Poland, R. Moses Isserles (Ram"a), and R. Shlomo Luria (Maharsh"al). He also studied Kabbalah under R. Mattathias ben Solomon Delacrut whom he cites in the introduction to the Levush Ohr Yekaroth. These works comprise the first two “garments” (Levushim) of the total of ten which comprise Jaffe’s monumental output