Auction 62 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Migdol David and Shir Hilulim – Amsterdam, 1680-1681
Opening: $300
Sold for: $375
Including buyer's premium
Migdol David, commentary to Megillat Ruth, with Shir Hilulim, poem for the occasion of presenting a Torah scroll, by R. David Lida. Amsterdam, [1680-1681]. Only edition.
Shir Hilulim is a song consisting of thirteen stanzas alluding to the thirteen attributes of Mercy, and based on the letters of G-d's Name. Shir Hilulim was printed with a separated title page, and is rare, not appearing in all copies. In this copy, Shir Hilulim was bound at the beginning of the book instead of at the end.
The commentary to Megillat Ruth was in fact composed by R. Chaim HaKohen of Aleppo and not by R. David Lida. See: A. Freiman, R. David Lida and his Self-Justification in Be'er Esek, Jubilee Book in Honor of Nachum Sokolow, Warsaw 1904, pp. 456-457.
R. Yaakov Emden sharply criticized the book and accused the author of plagiarism: "As one can see in Shir Chilulim[!], at the end of the book Migdol David which the publisher attributed to himself while misleading the public… and he was not aware… that the name of the true author remained signed on it, since he concluded with Chaim" (Torat HaKana'ut, Lviv 1870, p. 145).
The foot of the title page of Shir Hilulim reads: "Printed by the excellent David Tartas, brother of the martyr who was burnt in sanctification of G-d's name, Yitzchak Tartas" (Yitzchak Tartas, brother of the printer, immigrated in 1641 to Recife, Northeast Brazil, which was then under Dutch rule. In 1644, he moved to Bahia – an area under Portuguese rule, where he was arrested by the government for being a Jew and deported to Lisbon to be interrogated by the Inquisition. After a lengthy trial, in which he refused to renounce his faith, he was sentenced to death and burnt at stake).
The last page of Shir Hilulim contains the name of the printing press worker: "Yaakov Chaim son of R. Moshe Refael de Cordova from Brazil".
[2] leaves: Shir Hilulim. 5-73 leaves: Migdol David. Lacking title page and four leaves of approbations to Migdol David. 18 cm. Good condition. Stains. Worming and minor damage. Leather binding, with damage.
Shir Hilulim is a song consisting of thirteen stanzas alluding to the thirteen attributes of Mercy, and based on the letters of G-d's Name. Shir Hilulim was printed with a separated title page, and is rare, not appearing in all copies. In this copy, Shir Hilulim was bound at the beginning of the book instead of at the end.
The commentary to Megillat Ruth was in fact composed by R. Chaim HaKohen of Aleppo and not by R. David Lida. See: A. Freiman, R. David Lida and his Self-Justification in Be'er Esek, Jubilee Book in Honor of Nachum Sokolow, Warsaw 1904, pp. 456-457.
R. Yaakov Emden sharply criticized the book and accused the author of plagiarism: "As one can see in Shir Chilulim[!], at the end of the book Migdol David which the publisher attributed to himself while misleading the public… and he was not aware… that the name of the true author remained signed on it, since he concluded with Chaim" (Torat HaKana'ut, Lviv 1870, p. 145).
The foot of the title page of Shir Hilulim reads: "Printed by the excellent David Tartas, brother of the martyr who was burnt in sanctification of G-d's name, Yitzchak Tartas" (Yitzchak Tartas, brother of the printer, immigrated in 1641 to Recife, Northeast Brazil, which was then under Dutch rule. In 1644, he moved to Bahia – an area under Portuguese rule, where he was arrested by the government for being a Jew and deported to Lisbon to be interrogated by the Inquisition. After a lengthy trial, in which he refused to renounce his faith, he was sentenced to death and burnt at stake).
The last page of Shir Hilulim contains the name of the printing press worker: "Yaakov Chaim son of R. Moshe Refael de Cordova from Brazil".
[2] leaves: Shir Hilulim. 5-73 leaves: Migdol David. Lacking title page and four leaves of approbations to Migdol David. 18 cm. Good condition. Stains. Worming and minor damage. Leather binding, with damage.
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