Spanish). Godines, Benjamin Senior (Ed.) Me’ah Berachoth / Orden de Bendiciones.

(LITURGY.

Albertus Magnus

Amsterdam

1687

Title in Hebrew and Spanish. Text in Hebrew and Spanish face `a face. Editor's Introduction in Portuguese. Exceptional engraved frontispiece by the Jewish artist Benjamin Godines depicting Man’s Five Senses by way of the performance of five ceremonial acts. On title, signature of former owner, the German artist, Elias Salantine.

Vinograd, Amsterdam 550; Fuks, Amsterdam 606; Kayserling, p. 62; Gans, Memorbook p. 141; Roth, Jewish Art, col. 474.

“One Hundred Blessings”: A most striking volume of collected prayers and instructions issued for Marrano refugees. Included in the Me’ah Berachoth are: the Hagadah for Passover; an index of blessings for the entire year including relevant laws and commentary according to Sephardic rite; a perpetual liturgical calendar; a recipe for Charoseth; instructions for constructing a Mikveh; prayers for the sick, last rites, and prayers for martyrs burned at the stake by the Inquisition. Of uncommon interest are the ceremonies celebrating the birth of a daughter, “Zeved HaBath” (Fadas de la Hija) and the circumcision ceremony of proselytes and servants. The editor writes that he found the manuscript to this work in the library of Isaac de Matitya Aboab and was granted permission by its owner to publish it for the common good. (Although there is some obfuscation, one assumes that Aboab authored the work.) The work received the Haskamah of the three Hahamim of Amsterdam: Isaac de Fonseca Aboab, Jacob Sasportas and Selomoh de Oliveira.