Bidspirit auction | Sefer Yeffe Toar on Bereshit

Sefer Yeffe Toar on Bereshit Rabba - Furth 1692. The Largest and Most Comprehensive Work on Midrash Rabba - Sefer Yeffe Toar on Midrash Rabba, Sefer Bereshit, by Rabbi Shmuel Yoffe Ashkenazi, Furth 1692. In the Rare Book Collection of the National Library. Originally: [1], 540 leaves - this copy is missing the first title page and last leaf. Ancient leather binding, apparently original. Blemished spine. Front board and the first 2 leaves are detached. Som etaping and varied minor blemishes. In some leaves, the heading and the references on the margins were partly cut. Moth perforations. Good overall condition.  This work is a the most comprehensive and important commentary on Midrash Rabba, authored by Rabbi Shmuel Yoffe Ashkenazi [(1525-1595) one of the sages of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century] who worked on it for 25 years. His commentary merited being published in all Jewish communiites. Leading rabbis of all generations learned it and frequently reference it in their books, basing their commentary on it. Thescholar Meir Benayahu writes that this book has probably been printed more than any other book in the history of printing, from the invention of the printing press to this day. This copy is of the third and final edition, the last edition printed until today.