Bidspirit auction | Sefer Eliyahu Mizrachi – A

Sefer Eliyahu Mizrachi – A Fundamental Commentary on Rashi’s Commentary to the Torah – Amsterdam, 1718 – With a Map of the Land of Israel. - Sefer Eliyahu Mizrachi – commentary and exposition on Rashi's commentary to the Torah, by the gaon Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi (the Re'em), one of the leading sages of the Ottoman Empire and among the foremost commentators on Rashi. Amsterdam, 1718. A fine and impressive edition of one of the most important foundational works in Biblical commentary. For centuries, the Re'em's work was regarded as the central and most authoritative exposition of Rashi's commentary on the Torah, to the extent that nearly all students of Rashi—from the Maharal, the Levush, and the Gur Aryeh to later authorities—engaged with his interpretations and analyses. The Re'em does not merely explain Rashi's wording; he seeks to resolve his difficulties, clarify his sources in the Midrashim of Chazal, and defend his approach against the objections of other commentators. For this reason, the work attained a special place in the Jewish library and was regarded for generations as the foremost of the commentaries on Rashi. Printed at the beginning of the book are approbations from leading European rabbis of the period: Rabbi Shlomo Ayllon, Av Beis Din of the Sephardic community of Amsterdam; Rabbi Avraham bar Yehudah, Av Beis Din of the Ashkenazic community of Amsterdam; Rabbi Yaakov HaKohen, Av Beis Din of Frankfurt am Main; and Rabbi Yechezkel Katzenellenbogen, Av Beis Din of Altona and Hamburg. Also printed is an introduction by the author's descendant, Rabbi Yisrael Mizrachi. On leaf 211b appears an illustration of a map of the boundaries of the Land of Israel, adding a special feature to the copy. [1], 241 leaves. Approximately 32 cm. Printed on thick, high-quality paper. An exceptionally distinctive vellum binding.