Midrash Raba, Shemot, with Yefe Toar commentary, by Rabbi Shmuel Yaffe Ashkenazi. [Venice, 1657, first edition]. Dozens of long scholarly glosses on the sheets in early Oriental writing, some signed by the writer: "David Chazan", "D.C." "D.C.N." – (leaf 16/a; 68/b; 92/a; 98/b; 132/a; 148/b; 196/b; 195/b; etc.). Several glosses in another handwriting, apparently by other writers. Kabbalist Rabbi David Chazan (ca.1680-1748), author of Chozeh David, was a leading Jerusalem and Izmir sage, son of Rabbi Chaim Chazan, author of Shenot Chaim and grandson of Rabbi Yosef Chazan, author of Edut B'hosef. He was considered one of the prominent Jerusalem sages of the 1700s. In 1724-1725 he was an emissary to Europe, there he printed his celebrated book Chozeh David on Tehillim (Amsterdam, 1724). and was welcomed with great honor in Hamburg in 1725. Four years later he moved to Izmir and established a printing press. In 1739, he returned to Jerusalem and many Torah scholars of his time attended his yeshiva, including the Rishon L'Zion, Rabbi Avraham Meyuchas, author of Sde HaAretz and the Chida, and both present his teachings in their books. In his book, Shem Gedolim (Ma'arechet Sefarim, Chozeh David), his disciple, the Chida, wrote that besides his printed books – Chozeh David on Tehillim, Agan HaSahar on Mishlei, Kohelet ben David on Kohelet and David B'Metzuda on Pirkei Avot – he also wrote a large work on Bereshit. These are hitherto unprinted remnants of his commentary on Shemot. Rabbi Yehuda Chazan and Rabbi Chaim Chazan of Izmir, father of Rabbi Yosef Refael Chazan, author of Chikrei Lev are among his descendants. Missing title page and last two leaves of the indexes: [3], 102, 102-130, [1], 130-225, 224-246, 254-255 leaves. (Originally: [4], 102, 102-130, [1], 130-225, 224-246, 254-256, [1] leaves). 29 cm. Fair-poor condition. Many slightly cutoff glosses. Wear and heavy stains. Major damage to the center of many leaves from a metal object (shrapnel?) which penetrated the spine of the book. Old binding with damaged leather spine. At the end of the introduction is an ownership inscription "Kodesh L'Midrash Knesset Yechezkel" [a well-known Beit Midrash in Jerusalem in the 19th century, established in 1841 by Rabbi Abdallah Chaim, uncle of the Ben Ish Chai, who immigrated to Jerusalem from Baghdad].