Sepher Sephath Emeth.

(LITURGY).

Israel ben Abraham Bak

Safed

1832

According to the Sephardic rite. With Lurianic meditations. Calendar at end. Upper cover gilt tooled: Moses De H. Benoliel.

Vinograd, Safed 7; Ya’ari, Safed 7.

The First Prayer-Book Printed in the Land of Israel. The book contains the endorsements of several rabbis, most notably R. Nissim Zerachyah Azulai, grandson of R. Chaim Joseph David Azulai (Chid”a); Chassidic Rabbi Gershon Margoliouth, grandson of R. Issachar Dov Baer of Zlotchov and Safed (author Bath Eyni and Mevaser Tzedek) and Rabbi Israel of Shklov, on behalf of the community of Perushim, disciples of the Vilna Gaon. As R. Nissim Azulai explains in his introduction, he was invited by Israel Bak to include in the work several excerpts from the books of his grandfather Chid”a. The title notes that all those who labored at Bak’s press were pious Jews and therefore prayers recited from this particular prayer-book will most assuredly be heard on High. The first Hebrew book printed in Safed after an interval of almost two and a half centuries. Bak’s earliest printing effort upon arrival to Safed from Berditchev.