Bidspirit auction | Rav Alfas – Sabbioneta, 1554

Rav Alfas – Sabbioneta, 1554 – Berachot and Halachot Ketanot – Handwritten Glosses - Hilchot Rav Alfas by R. Yitzchak Alfasi (Rif), Part I, Tractate Berachot and Halachot Ketanot, with commentaries of Rabbeinu Yonah, Rabbeinu Nissim, Nimukei Yosef, Baal HaMaor and Ramban, Rosh [on Halachot Ketanot] and Shiltei HaGiborim, with Tosefta and Mordechai. Sabbioneta: Tobias Foa, 1554. Tractate Berachot and Halachot Ketanot, from Part I (originally included Seder Moed as well). Censorship expurgations. Inscription and signature of censors Vincentius de Matelica and Cipriano Uberti on title page. Ownership inscription on title page: ”Purchased by me, Asher Pugliese”; on title page, signature of ”Refael son of R. Shmuel Pugliese”, and his ownership inscription on endpaper: ”Purchased by me… Refael son of R. Shmuel Pugliese” [the Pugliese family were Italian philanthropists and Torah scholars, residing in Piedmont and Vercelli]. Handwritten glosses, in Italian script. Paper strips mounted on one leaf, over Shiltei HaGiborim commentary, with handwritten replacement of text on paper. 98 leaves. 38 cm. Most leaves in fair condition, approx. 30 of last leaves in good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear. Tears and open tears (including several large tears), affecting text, mostly repaired with paper (many large paper strips mounted on title page and some leaves, over some of text). Worming, affecting text. Early leather binding. Worming, wear and defects to binding. This edition of Rav Alfas was printed during the decrees banning the Talmud in Italy, which began with the burning of the Talmud in Rome on Rosh Hashanah 1553. The decrees forbade the printing and studying of the Talmud, but Rav Alfas was permitted. It became the mainstay of Torah study in Italy during that time period, and was used to reconstruct passages of the (forbidden) Talmud. This edition therefore became one of the most important in its time. (For further information regarding the banning of the Talmud, see: Introduction to Chiddushei R. Moshe Kazes, Machon Yerushalayim, 1988; A. Yaari, The Burning of the Talmud in Italy; M. Benayahu, Hebrew Printing in Cremona, and others). Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.