Ibur Shanim, on the Hebrew calendar, by R. Yissachar Susan. Venice: Zuan (Giovanni) di Gara, 1579. Second edition.
The author,
R. Yissachar son of R. Mordechai ibn Susan (ca. 1510-1580) was born in Fez, Morocco. He immigrated to Jerusalem and studied in the yeshiva of the Ralbach, R. Levi ibn Habib, later settling in Safed. In ca. 1538, he left Eretz Israel (by some accounts he was forced to leave Safed due to his support for his teacher the Ralbach in the famous semichah controversy), passing through Turkey, Salonika, and other lands. At popular request, he then composed his book on the Hebrew calendar, recording the unique customs of the Maghrebi community in Safed to which he belonged (for instance at p. 61a). He writes that he once voiced a ruling regarding the Torah reading in his synagogue in the presence of R. Yosef Karo, and the latter didn't raise any objection (p. 57a). The book was first printed in Constantinople in 1564 under the title Tikun Yissachar, much to the author's chagrin; in his introduction to the present edition the author writes that the 1564 edition contains many errors and omissions. The present work is the author's amended edition. The book features diagrams for calculating moladot and tekufot.
Signature on title page: "Mazal Tov Modena" – signature of R. Mazal Tov Modena, disciple of R. Yishmael HaKohen of Modena author of Zera Emet. A leading Italian rabbi of his times (ca. 1770s-1830s). In 1806 he was invited to Napoleon's Sanhedrin, and after his teacher's passing (in 1811) he succeeded him as Rabbi of Modena. His halachic rulings and novellae remain in manuscript. His son, disciple and successor as Rabbi of Modena was R. David Zacuto, author of Zecher David and more.
Inscriptions on front endpaper: "Mazal Tov Modena… with Mordechai Padua…".
Signature on last leaf: "I am Ish Ger [a stranger] in the land" – R. Avraham Yosef Shlomo Graziano (Ish Ger), an Italian Jewish scholar who lived in the 17th century and a famous collector of books and manuscripts.
On verso of title page, note in Italian script: "Regarding the sealing of judgment on the night of Hoshana Rabba…" (possibly in the hand of R. Graziano).
On last leaf, signatures of censors Girolamo da Durazzano dated 164, Luigi da Bologna, dated 1601, and Arcangelo Calbetti.
136 leaves. 20 cm. Fair condition; some leaves in fair-poor condition. Many stains. Worming in many places (heavy worming to some leaves), affecting text in many places. Old cardboard binding.
CB, no. 5282,2; Zedner, p. 393; Roest, p. 501.
