Bidspirit auction | A Tiny Miniature Siddur! –

A Tiny Miniature Siddur! – Printed Especially for Jewish Children – Amsterdam, 1739 Siddur for Weekdays and Yamim Tovim , containing the fully vocalized tefillos for weekdays, Shabbos, and Yamim Tovim, according to the minhag of the Sephardic community. Printed by Naftali Hirsch Levi, Amsterdam, 1739. On leaf 223 appears a separate title page: ”Seder Tefillos L'Mo'adim Tovim K'Minhag K”k Sefardim.” A remarkable miniature edition, measuring only 6 cm (2.4 inches), specially printed for the children of Klal Yisroel, with exceptionally small, finely cut, fully vocalized type. In his introduction, the publisher, Rabbi Meir Crescas , explains the reason for printing this unique siddur: ”I saw here in Amsterdam a small siddur printed in tiny letters without nekudos, and the children were unable to read from it during their tefillos. Their distress touched my heart, and I therefore printed this siddur... the likes of which had never before appeared, with tiny, delicate letters and beautiful new vocalization.” At that time, Rabbi Meir Crescas was in Amsterdam overseeing the publication of the first edition of Shu”t Tashbetz, issued in a magnificent edition renowned for its beautiful fishskin bindings . It was then that he arranged for these miniature siddurim to be printed at the press of Naftali Hirsch Levi, the same printer who produced the Tashbetz. It is noteworthy that, in his introduction to the Shu”t Tashbetz , Naftali Hirsch Levi relates that his entire printing house was destroyed by fire in 1738. If the date on the present siddur is indeed correct, this would make it the first sefer printed by his press after the devastating fire!