Bidspirit auction | Sefer Hachinuch by Rabbi Aharon

Sefer Hachinuch by Rabbi Aharon Halevi of Barcelona. Venice 1600. Signature & Marginalia of Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ghirondi. - The sefer was written in continuance of the works of Counters of Mitzvot such as the Rambam's Sefer Hamitzvot, Sefer Mitzvot Gadol and Sefer Mitzvot Katan. However, unlike them, the author also wrote the Tamei Mitzvot, their Dinim, the sanction imposed on those who break them and additional details. Venice, [1600]. Second edition. In this edition there are important variations compared to the first edition of Venice, 1523. With an introduction and poem by Leon de Modena. Signature on the title page & on page 12 of Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ghirondi, page 15 with his signed marginalia. The author of Sefer Hachinuch chose to hide his identity, describing himself in the introduction to his sefer only as a Jew of the house of Levi from Barcelona. In his words on Mitzvah 315, there is a hint that he wrote a commentary on Masechet Beitzah; however, such a work was not found. Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ghirondi (1800-1852) was the Rabbi of Padua, a kabbalist, bibliographer, teacher in the rabbinical seminary of Padua and researcher of the history of Italian rabbis. He served as Rabbi of Padua beginning in 1831, for 21 years. He composed several books on halachah and ethics, yet is renowned primarily for his work Toldot Gedolei Yisrael UGeonei Italia (Trieste, 1853). One of the leading Torah scholars of the generation writes about his greatness in Kabbalah: ”I have never seen anyone proficient in kabbalistic teachings like the kabbalist R. Mordechai Shmuel… Ghirondi”. His son, R. Efraim Refael Ghirondi writes of his father: ”A father to the poor… humble like Hillel, brought back many from sin… very well-versed in responsa and halachah, and rabbis of his time also posed halachic questions to him, and his wide-ranged responsa are recorded in his responsa named Kevutzat Kesef which remains in manuscript…”. 228 Leaves. 20.5 cm.