Arba Turim [sections Even Ha’ezer and Choshen Mishpat]. Augsburg, 1540-1541. Rare Edition. Magnificent Copy.

Arba Turim [sections Even Ha’ezer and Choshen Mishpat]. Augsburg, 1540-1541. Rare Edition. Magnificent Copy.

Arba Turim, by Rabbi Yaakov bar Asher. Sections Even Ha’ezer and Choshen Mishpat in one volume. An especially magnificent copy.

The writing of the Tur were completed in 1340, yet first printed only in 1475, in northern Italy. This is from the earliest editions of the book. In it, many mistakes from the previous printings were corrected. According to the publisher’s note on the title page, corrections were based on the Tur owned by Rabbi Avraham of Prague. This edition is extremely rare.

Ancient Ashkenazi owner’s signature on the first page. On the verso of the last page appears an ancient and long Sephardi ownership listing, in the form of a colophon of “Yehoshua ben Rabbi Eliav”.

The body of the text, titles and opening letters are printed in Ashkenazi-type square letters. The text of the order of the ‘Simanim’ on the index pages is printed in medieval lettering (Rashi script).

This edition’s printed text is accompanied by glosses and corrections culled from the glosses of Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Avigdor, Rabbi of Prague:

The last page features a letter from Rabbi Yosef ben Yakar (son-in-law of the printer, Chaim Shachor), who aided in the book’s printing. It is addressed to his brother-in-law, Rabbi Yaakov ben Baruch.

Rabbi Yosef apologizes to his brother-in-law for not heeding him and choosing not to print Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Avigdor’s lengthy glosses in their entirety (“and I will almost state that most of his commentary confuses those learning it…”). Instead, he selected from them only corrections in terminology, explanations of words, quotes of sources and the like.

Concurrent to this printing, in Prague they began printing Rabbi Avraham’s glosses in their entirety, in the Tur edition printed there. Only the first volume ended up being printed there, Tur Orach Chaim (Prague, 1540). Since then, no more of the glosses were printed until today.

Printer Rabbi Chaim Shachor, of the prominent printers at the inception of the Hebrew press in Europe, outside Italy, and among the first printers in Prague:

He established the first Hebrew press in Germany (Augsburg Press), and later the first Hebrew press in Lublin. He was active in Prague from around 1515-1526. He then settled in Oels, Silesia (today Olszanica, Poland), where he printed a few books. In 1534, Rabbi Shachor moved to Augsburg, where he established his printing house. Only around ten Hebrew titles were printed the Augsburg printing house. Later (in 1543), Rabbi Shachor wandered with his family and came to Ichhausen, and printed some books there; he then printed a number of books in Hidernum. In around 1547, Rabbi Shachor came to Lublin and established the city’s first printing house (see A.M. Haberman, printer Chaim Shachor, his son Yitzchak and his son-in-law Yosef ben Rabbi Yakar, Kiryat Sefer 31, pg. 491).

Augsburg, 1540-1541. Rare edition. Magnificent copy. Chaim ben David Shachor Press.

Even Ha’ezer: [2], 44 leaves. Choshen Mishpat: 112, [2] leaves.

Includes the last two pages of masechtot and chapters in the Mishnah according to the Ralbag, which are missing in most copies (see Steinschneider, C.B. pgs. 1183-1184; Shmuel Viener, pg. 548, no. 4505).

33 cm. Very good condition. Stains and tear on corner of top margins of first two leaves. Thick, quality paper. Wide, beautiful margins. Antique, brown leather binding, especially magnificent and impressive with engravings and remnants of the clasps. Slightly damage on the spine of the binding.

Ginzei Yisrael 728.