ECCLESIASTES). Sepher Koheleth. With commentary Chemdath Yisrael by Israel Nachman Drohbitscher

(BIBLE,

S. Saadon

Livorno

1820

FIRST EDITION. Lengthy inscription on title to Yitzchak ben Abraham Halevi by Moshe ben Abraham Benveniste. Upper cover with presentation slip from the author. Cites R. Jonathan Eybeschuetz (f. 19a) and the Vilna Gaon (verso of final leaf). From the Cassuto Collection

Vinograd, Livorno 654

With additional poems Eleph Alphin and the scarce Eleph Bethin consisting of a thousand words beginning with the letters Aleph and Beth. The author's father was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and studied under R. Joseph Bloch (author of Ginzei Yoseph), a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. R. Israel Nachman served as a Rabbi in Eastern Europe and after styling himself S"T (Sephardi Tahor), moved to Sidon, Lebanon and finally Safed. He introduced the Chid"a (Chaim Joseph David Azulai) to Chassidic teachings. For more concerning this colorful personality and his travels, see S. Abramson, Ben Koheleth (1953) pp. 301-320 and Eliezer Katzman, Beshvilei Sepher, in Yeshurun Vol. I, pp. 493-504.