(MISHNAH)

Isaac Prostitz

Cracow

(1576)

Pirkei Avoth [Ethics of the Fathers]. With commentary “Minchah Chadashah” by Jechiel Michel, Maraptchik, compiled from ten commentaries including Rashi, Maimonides, Ovadiah Bartenura, Don Isaac Abrabanel, Moses Almosnino, Beith Lechem Yehudah, Lev Avoth and two manuscript commentaries

Vinograd, Cracow 40; Mehlman 134; not in Adams

The First Commentary on Ethics of the Fathers by an East European Scholar Y. Y. Cohen attests to the scarcity of this work in his bibliography of commentaries and translations of Ethics of the Fathers. See Y. Y. Cohen, Masecheth Avoth - Peirusheha Ve’Targumeha be-Aspaklariyath ha-Doroth, in Kiryath Sepher, Vol. 40 (1964-5), pp.104-117, no.14. He states that although it was republished in 1722, it remained ralatively unknown and was not widely distributed. With Appendix including an interesting discussion on why the city of Safed is more spiritually elevated than the other Holy Cities of Eretz Israel