Biur al HaTorah [commentary to the Pentateuch]. ff. 92. * Biur Shir Hashirim VeKoheleth [commentary to the Song of Songs and Book of Ecclesiastes]. ff.16

SFORNO, OVADIAH

Giovanni Griffio

Venice

1567

Together, two works in one volume. FIRST EDITIONS. Large printer’s device on titles. Letters of initial word of each of the Five Books of the Pentateuch within historiated cut

Vinograd, Venice 538-9; Adams O-2-3

USE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE: Commentary of Italian Biblical Exegete True to the Italian Jewish tradition, Obadiah Sforno (c.1470-c.1550) excelled in several diverse fields: philosophy, mathematics, and particularly medicine. In fact, Sforno earned a living as a physician. It was he who taught the Hebrew language to the German philosemite Johannes Reuchlin (for which Sforno has been criticized by some). Though written in a deceivingly simple style, Sforno’s commentary contains great depth. Several relatively recent halachic works make extensive use of Sforno, most notably R. Meir Dan Plotzki’s “Kli Chemdah.” In his introduction to the Pentateuch, “Kavanoth ha-Torah,” the author offers original rationales for the various commandments (ta’amei ha-mitzvoth). Of late, Rabbi Yehuda Copperman of Jerusalem published an annotated edition of Sforno’s commentary. See EJ, Vol. XIV, cols.1209-1210