Me’am Loez (Bamidbar).

MAGRISO, YITZCHAK.

Ashkenazi Brothers

Constantinople

1764

FIRST EDITION . Text in Ladino. Introductions and marginal comments in Hebrew. Map Of The Land Of Israel (f. 158a). With a second introduction apparently bound in from another volume (Vayikra).

Vinograd, Const. 590; Yaari, Const. 446; Mehlman 1483(5).

Yaari located just one copy, housed in the Library of Machon Ben Tzvi, Jerusalem. Me’am Loez was the most popular, outstanding encyclopedic work of Judeo-Spanish literature and played a major role in Sephardic culture. It contains extracts from all parts of Rabbinical literature translated into the Ladino vernacular. The work was originally conceived by R. Jacob Culi who began the volume on Bereishith and part of Shemoth. After his untimely death, it was continued by Yitzchak Magriso and the final volume on Devarim by Yitzchak Behar Arguetti. The Sabbath-day study of the Me’am Lo’ez was considered a religious duty. See EJ Vol. XI col. 1158-60.