Toldos Yitzchak by Rabbi Yitzchak Karo. Istanbul, 1518. First Edition,

Rare Exceptional Find! ...

Toldos Yitzchak by Rabbi Yitzchak Karo. Istanbul, 1518. First Edition,

Rare Exceptional Find!

Striking Copy!

Discourses and commentary on the Pentateuch by Rabbi Yitzchak Karo. Complete copy in beautiful condition—a rare, valuable find!

Rabbi Yitzchak Karo (1458-1535) was one of the leading Spanish Jewish sages during the era of the Spanish Expulsion and later served as rosh yeshivah in Portugal. Following the expulsion of Jews from Portugal, he settled in Turkey where he raised his nephew Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Beis Yosef and Shulchan Aruch. Rabbi Yosef Karo drew much of his Torah wisdom and fear of heaven from his venerable uncle and mentioned him on several occasions in the Beis Yosef, referring to him as ‘Mori dodi, my master, my uncle.’  

This work was printed by the author in small chapter volumes, with 50 2-page pamphlets and a final 1-page pamphlet, which he personally distributed to buyers in the synagogue on Shabbos. The complete set of pamphlets is a rare, and exclusive find.

The cover page features the owners’ signatures in ancient cursive, and the following fascinating inscription appears beside one signature:

“Bestowed by the grace of G-d to His servant in the city of Damascus by Rabbi Yitzchak Karo…Year 1559, one year after I departed from Eretz Yisrael. May Hashem grant that I and my children and descendants shall merit toiling in it forevermore. Daniel ben Harav Shmuel…Hadayan.”

The owner’s name, Rabbi Daniel ben Rabbi Shmuel, also appears on a query sent to Rabbi Yosef Karo (Shu”t Avkas Rochel Ch. 58) regarding a mikveh in his hometown which the local Rav prohibited, but he permitted. In his response, Rabbi Yosef Karo concurs with Rabbi Daniel whose signature appears in this work.

Page [1a] features the signature of the last owner – the Rishon Letzion and leading Jerusalem sage Rabbi Moshe Galanti (1620-1679), who was the spiritual master of the Pri Chadash, Maharam Ben Chaviv and other leading Spanish sages.

Istanbul, 1518. 101 sides. Page size: 26.5 cm. Thick, high-quality paper. On the last page, several words were artistically restored, and several stains appear on various pages. Overall, the work is complete and in very good condition.

59 Yaari, Istanbul. Giznei Yisrael 680.

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