Sepher Ha’Ikarim [Book of Fundamentals]. Initial words floriated (f. 2r.; f.7r.)

ALBO, JOSEPH

Joshua Solomon Soncino

Soncino

1486

FIRST EDITION. On f.1r. several owners' inscriptions and signatures removed. Passages perceived as anti-Christian aggressively struck by the censor (viz. f.19r, 20r and especially the exceptionally rare ff. 56-58). Scholarly marginalia in a Sephardic hand throughout and on verso of final leaf. On f. 7v geometric diagram drawn in margin. There are several interesting variants: On f.31r. our last two lines read correctly, “nora tehiloth ve-al ha-sheni am' oseh pheleh. Ve-he'erich be-min ha-sheini ve-am' natitha yeminecha ve-go' nehalta be-ozecha ve-chu'.” One copy of JTSA reads incorrectly, “higbalta makom le-kibul ha-onesh ve-eino chein be-sachar ke-mo she-beiarnu.” However a second JTSA copy agrees with our text. The Louis H. Silver copy

Vinograd, Soncino 15; Goff 64; Goldstein 30; Offenberg 3; St. Cat. Bodl. no. 5882: 1; Thes. A-32; Habermann, Soncino, p. 40 no.1

COMPLETE COPY OF ALBO'S CLASSIC OF JEWISH THEOLOGY, With the rare first leaf containing Soncino's introduction and ff. 56-58 which are habitually lacking entirely in most copies - indeed a previous owner states in pencil on the inside covers of this volume that this is the only known complete copy(!) Joseph Albo’s philosophical exposition proceeds from the view that every religion is founded on three basic principles: the existence of God, Revelation and reward and punishment. True faith, according to Albo, is that which recognizes not only the roots of these three fundamental principles, but also their logical consequences. The goal of man lies in perfecting himself, and the way of human perfection according to Albo, lies in striving to become similar to the supreme symbol of perfection - God. This can be achieved by doing good and right out of love for God through the loving fulfillment of His will and commandments. Albo also deals here with the terrors of the imminent catastrophe about to befall Spanish Jewry. He interprets suffering as “chastisements of love” imposed as a trial which only serves to strengthen the bond of love between God and Israel. As long as Israel cleaves to God’s ways, they may not lose hope that the day of Redemption will come. For a brief examination of Albo’s philosophies and the thinkers upon whose ideas he built, see Zinberg, vol. III pp. 233-9 The anonymous typesetter of this book("Ha-Talmid Ha-meshareth") was so enthused by this work that he ended the colophon with the paraphrase: "Ki me-Zion Tetze TorahU-devar Hashem me-Soncino." Perhaps a measure of the literary value of Sepher Ha’Ikarim is the fact that it was published a mere half-century after the author’s passing. See EJ, Vol. II, col. 535