Bidspirit auction | Chovot HaLevavot – Mantua, 1559.

Chovot HaLevavot – Mantua, 1559. - Sefer Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart) by Rabbeinu Bahya ibn Paquda, in the classic Hebrew translation of Rabbi Yehuda ibn Tibbon. Mantua, [printed by Meir ben Ephraim of Padua and Yaakov ben Naftali HaKohen of Gazzuolo, 1559]. This is the fourth edition of the renowned work Chovot HaLevavot, one of the foundational seforim of Jewish ethics and service of God. More than one hundred editions of this work have been printed over the centuries. The edition presented here is considered a prototype edition, serving as a textual base for most subsequent versions. Emendations in this edition—sourced from ”S.A.” [= Sefarim Acherim, other books]—were incorporated into the standard printed text in later editions. At the colophon on leaf 93 verso, the names of the printers and the completion date of the printing appear: 25 Tevet 5319 [= January 14, 1559]. On the significance of this edition and its status as the progenitor of all later printings, see A. M. Habermann’s article: ”LeCheker Sefer Chovot HaLevavot uNuschaotav HaIvriyyot”, in Sinai, vol. 28 (1951), pp. 318–331. Chovot HaLevavot is widely regarded as one of the fundamental ethical works in the Jewish tradition and has been studied across generations. It is well known that the Chatam Sofer, before delivering his daily lecture in Pressburg, would begin with the study of several passages from Chovot HaLevavot. Similarly, Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik — the Brisker Rav — used to say in the name of his father, Rabbi Chaim of Brisk, that Chovot HaLevavot is “pure wisdom and ethics.” In fact, during the early years after his marriage, the Brisker Rav inherited ownership of prime real estate in Warsaw from his father-in-law, but it was all stolen from him. During that period, he studied the Sha’ar HaBitachon in Chovot HaLevavot dozens of times. He is quoted as saying that when he owned property, he thought he was wealthy — but once he studied and internalized the Sha’ar HaBitachon, he realized who the truly wealthy man is. 8-103 Leaves. Includes additional leaves of scriptural indexes, which are found only in select copies. The title page and first seven leaves are facsimiles. 19.2 cm.