Ma’aloth HaMidoth.

ANAV, YECHIEL BEN YEKUTHIEL.

Vicenzo Conti

Cremona

1556

Second edition, first with this title. Few words censored and subsequently replaced in an early hand.

Vinograd, Cremona 1; Benayahu, Cremona 2; Mehlman 977; St. Cat. Bodl. 5660:2 (ed. maximae raritatis); not in Adams.

THE FIRST HEBREW BOOK PRINTED IN CREMONA. Anav’s Ma’aloth HaMidoth is renowned for its ethical insights and enumeration of the twenty-four steps necessary for character development. Later Rabbinic luminaries such as R. Ya’akov Emden highly regarded the work - evident from the fact that he included entire chapters of it in his own Migdal Oz. Ma’aloth HaMidoth was particularly venerated by the adherents of the Mussar movement of Novardok and it was republished many times. It should be noted that when it first appeared (Constantinople, 1511) the work was known as Beith Midoth. It has been noted there are many significant textual changes between the first and second editions. As Weiner's Koheleth Moshe notes (no. 1332), the author's introduction first appeared in the second edition and it seems apparent, each printer worked from a different manuscript. See S.H. Kook, Iyunim U'Mechkarim Vol. II, pp. 268-9.