Ahavah BeTa’anugim [commentary to the Mishnah]

AZULAI, ABRAHAM BEN MORDECHAI.

Hebron

1641

Autograph Manuscript in Hebrew, written in semi-cursive Sephardic hand on paper.

Important autograph manuscript . Focuses upon Seder Nezikin and is entitled “Beth Pharoah” from the larger work “Ahavah BeTa’anugim.” Although stated on the title that this is “Part Three,” it seems self-evident that this part was in fact the very first section that Abraham Azulai wrote. Following the title page, there is a general introduction to the entire work in which the author explains why he named his commentary Ahavah BeTa’anugim. This is the only section extant of the author’s Mishnah commentary. It was first published in 1986 by Mechon Yerushalayim with an extensive overview. Stemming from a celebrated Rabbinic family, R. Abraham Azulai (1570-1643) was born in Fez, Morocco. In 1599 he moved to Eretz Israel and settled in Hebron. For more on his life, see Azulai, Shem Hagedolim, ref. Abraham Azulai; M. Laitman, Gems of Wisdom, Words of the Great Kabbalists From All Generations (2011) p. 413-14; D. Zlotnick, “The Commentary of Rabbi Abraham Azulai to the Mishnah” in: Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research, Vol. 40, 1972, pp. 147-168.