Bidspirit auction | Nesivos HaShalom — the rare

Nesivos HaShalom — the rare first edition of “the Bi’ur” by Moses Mendelssohn. A complete and well-preserved set of the Five Books of the Torah. Berlin, 5543 [1783]. - Extremely rare. A complete and impressive set, comprising all title pages, introductions, and supplementary sections, in five volumes of the first and celebrated edition of Netivot HaShalom, known as “the Bi’ur.” The work contains the Five Books of the Torah with Tikkun Sofrim, a German translation (German in Hebrew characters), and a Hebrew commentary edited by Moses Mendelssohn. The translation, written in refined High German, was intended to bring the Jews of Germany closer to the language of the state and general culture, in accordance with Mendelssohn’s aspiration to provide his generation with an accurate and dignified rendering of the Holy Scriptures. The Hebrew commentary explains the translation choices and relies extensively on classical medieval biblical commentators. The work was divided among leading figures of Mendelssohn’s circle: R. Shlomo Dubno (Genesis), Moses Mendelssohn (Exodus), Naftali Hertz Wessely (Leviticus), Aharon Friedenthal (Numbers), and Herz Homberg (Deuteronomy). The entire commentary was edited by Mendelssohn, who added his own notes and supplements. This first edition was printed in Berlin by George Friedrich Starcke in only 300 copies. Following the intense controversy surrounding the Bi’ur and opposition from various rabbinic circles, many copies were lost or destroyed over time. Accordingly, a complete set of the first edition is considered extremely rare today, especially when all volumes are preserved together in fine condition.  This is one of the most important, influential, and controversial works in the history of Hebrew printing in the modern era, and it is exceedingly rare to find a complete first-edition set on the antiquarian market or at auction. It is noteworthy that in the present copy, the introduction “Or laNetivah” appears in an unusual arrangement: its first part, together with the introductory title page, is printed at the beginning of the volume of Deuteronomy, while its continuation, together with the general title Netivot HaShalom, appears at the beginning of the volume of Numbers. This differs from the standard arrangement, in which the entire introduction is printed at the beginning of Genesis. Specifications: Genesis: [1], 299 leaves. Exodus: [1], 8, 204 leaves. At the beginning appears “Mehallel Re’a” — an explanation of the book’s benefit by Naftali Hertz Wessely, along with the opening poem “Yif’as Olam Esh Dat Afeli Tagiahi.” On leaves 7–8 appears an introduction by R. Shlomo b”r Yoel of Dubno, incompletely printed. Leviticus: [2], 218 leaves. Numbers: [8], 143 leaves. The first eight leaves contain the continuation of the general introduction Or laNetivah, here bound in part at the beginning of Deuteronomy, as well as the list of subscribers headed by Christian VII, King of Denmark. Deuteronomy: [16], 125, [3] leaves. The first sixteen leaves contain the title Or laNetivah and the first part of the general introduction to all five books. At the end appears the leaf “Amar HaMadpis” concerning the cantillation marks of the Ten Commandments. Two additional leaves from Parashiyot Re’eh and Noach are bound out of place, though also present in their proper location within the set. Complete set, well preserved, bound in handsome original leather bindings. In the volumes of Genesis and Numbers the clasps are intact; in all volumes remnants of clasps remain. Title page of Genesis detached. Very good condition.