Bidspirit auction | Biurim – A Work that

Biurim – A Work that Aroused Great Controversy. Venice, 1593. Sole Edition. With Illustrations and a Map of the Land of Israel. - Biurim, a commentary on Rashi’s commentary to the Torah, printed under the name of Rabbi Natan Shapira of Horodno, one of the central rabbinic figures in the history of Polish Jewry. Before us is a rare sole edition, among the most intriguing and unusual books in the history of Hebrew printing. The volume is adorned with several rare illustrations and diagrams, adding special significance: Leaf 28 – diagram of Jacob’s Ladder Leaf 85 – large and detailed illustration of the Menorah of the Tabernacle with all its components Leaf 150 – large diagram of the Land of Israel and its borders An early ownership inscription appears on the title page. The Forgery and the Controversy Before us is one of the most curious phenomena in the history of the Hebrew book: the present work was not written by Maharna”sh, although it was printed under his name. To this day, the true identity of the author remains unknown. Rabbi Natan Shapira, one of the great sages of his generation and a descendant of Rashi, was at that very time publishing his authentic work Imrei Shefer on the Torah (Cracow–Lublin, 1591–1597), entirely devoted to the teachings of his illustrious ancestor. In the midst of printing that genuine work, this book—Biurim—appeared and was falsely attributed to him. His son, Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira, protested sharply against the fraud. In his introduction to Imrei Shefer (Lublin, 1597), he wrote that men “without the yoke of Heaven” fabricated the work and attributed it to his father in order to profit from its sale. The controversy became so severe that the Council of Four Lands issued a ban against selling the book. Rabbi Natan Shapira of Horodno Rabbi Natan ben Rabbi Shimshon Shapira (approx. 1490–1577), author of Mavo She’arim and Imrei Shefer, was among the foremost early sages of Poland and one of the great luminaries of his age. He was a contemporary and colleague of Rabbi Shalom Shachna of Lublin, teacher of the Rema and Maharshal. He became especially renowned through his work Mavo She’arim on Sha’arei Dura (Lublin, 1574), which became a cornerstone text for the laws of Yoreh De’ah throughout Ashkenaz. His glosses to the Rif and Mordechai were printed in the Vilna Talmud under the title Hagahot Maharna”sh. He served as rabbi of Horodno, from which he became known as Rabbi Natan Shapira of Horodno, and later was appointed Av Beit Din of Posen and the surrounding province. His grandson, named after him, was the celebrated kabbalist Rabbi Natan Shapira, author of Megaleh Amukot. Before us, therefore, is a rare and fascinating volume: on one hand, a Torah work containing illustrations and maps; on the other, a dramatic witness to an extraordinary literary forgery that stirred the rabbinic and printing world of the sixteenth century. 180 leaves. 20 cm. Condition: Very good. Fine paper. Magnificent modern leather binding.