Bidspirit auction | One of the Rarest Books

One of the Rarest Books Printed in Kushta - Peirush Megillat Kohelet, by Rabbi Yitzchak ben Latif. Ca. [1575]. First Edition. - Peirush Megillat Kohelet (with the text), by the sage and philosopher Rabbi Yitzchak ben Latif. The text of the Megillah was printed in square, vowelized fonts; the commentary in Rashi fonts.  Rabbi Yitzchak ben Avraham ibn Latif (before 1244-after 1290) : was a philosopher and Mekubal, one of the sages of Spain in the 13th century. Most of his life, lived and operated in Toledo. In his old age (1290) immigrated to Eretz Yisrael, settling in Jerusalem, where he passed away and was buried. His theological doctrine includes Kabbalistic concepts; its basis, however, complies with contemporary philosophical approaches and he is perceived by scholars as a Neoplatonist. He admired the Rambam and his writings are, apparently, the first source of the famed saying about the Rambam: ”From Moshe to Moshe there was none like Moshe”. Kabbalah proponents who objected to philosophy had an ambivalent attitude toward him. The Ribash wrote that although Ibn Latif studied philosophy, he was, nevertheless, a Chassid and Ben-Torah yet also claimed that in his understading of the ten Sefirot, Ibn Latif deviated from the doctrine of the Ramban and his disciples and that his doctrine was his own Chidush rather than what he received from his rabbis. The Mekubal Rabbi Yehuda Chayat also disapproved of Ibn Latif's Kabbalistic doctrine, writing that ”in things related to the wisdom of Kabbalah, he is with one foot in and one foot out (that is philosophy), therefore can see only a portion, not all”.  Kushta, ca. [1575]. Yosef Yavetz Press. First edition.  The year of printing is based on Yudlov, Ginzei Yisrael no. 622 and on the opinion pf Prof. Hacker (Areshet V p. 492). Yaari writes: ca. 1585.  [56] leaves - the last 4 leaves are missing and competed with a professional photocopy. 14 cm. Very good condition. Aging stains. Fine new leather binding.  Yaari, Hadfus HaIvri Bekushta, no. 224.  Ginzei Yisrael (Mehlman Collection), no. 622.  One of the rarest books printed in Kushta.