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LOT 7:
Polemic on the Doctrine of Transmigration. Mekor Chaim, First Edition, Mantua 1559.
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Item Overview
Description:
Sefer Mekor Chaim — a commentary on the Five Books of the Torah by the 14th-century Spanish philosopher Rabbi Shmuel Tzartza (also known by his Hebrew name Ibn Sana). The work focuses primarily on clarifying the explanations of Rabbeinu Abraham Ibn Ezra on the verses, and on exploring the reasons for the commandments according to Rambam across all his writings, including the Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed).
First Edition. Mantua, 1559. Printed by Meir ben Ephraim of Padua and Yaakov ben Naftali HaKohen Gazolo.
The author begins with a poetic preface, praising the work as “containing all the secrets of Creation.” Throughout, he presents his own original insights as well as teachings received from earlier Spanish sages. In the introduction, the author recounts the suffering of the Jews of Castile during the civil war between Don Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, and his brother Henry the Navigator. Notably ten thousand Jews perished in Toledo alone.
On p. 123, the author launches a polemic against those who believe in the doctrine of transmigration of souls (gilgul), as taught by the Kabbalists — reflecting the mainstream position of leading Spanish scholars of his generation.
At the end of the sefer, he notes that he has also included commentary on much of Rambam’s Moreh Nevuchim, since very few of his contemporaries truly grasped Rambam’s philosophical approach.
In this copy, on leaf 21, appears a discussion of Lavan’s terafim, which — surprisingly — survived uncensored.
Title page within an architectural border. At the end of the introduction, verses from Tehillim form an acrostic spelling “Shmuel Tzartza.”
On ff. 4 and 54, ancient marginalia.
130 Leaves. 31 Cm.
Condition: Good to Fair, stains, repairs on the verso of the title page, erasures and censorship signatures from 1594 and 1603. Worming mostly in the margins, occasionally affecting text. Later binding.
