Bidspirit auction | Ma'aseh Rokeach – Venice, 1742.

Ma'aseh Rokeach – Venice, 1742. First Edition. Copy of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lehren - Ma'aseh Rokeach, a comprehensive commentary on Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, Part I: Sefer Mada, Ahavah, and Zemanim, by the renowned scholar and kabbalist Rabbi Mas'ud Chai Rokeach. Venice, 1742. First edition. A distinguished provenance copy bearing on the title page the ownership signature of the celebrated philanthropist and communal leader Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lehren of Amsterdam, one of the foremost supporters of the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel during the nineteenth century. Presented here is the first edition of one of the most important commentaries ever written on the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides. This is the only volume of the work published during the author's lifetime, and it remains one of the principal sources for the study of Maimonides and the textual history of his code. The significance of Ma'aseh Rokeach is multifaceted. Most notably, the author incorporated extensive passages from early authorities, especially the writings of Rabbeinu Avraham ben HaRambam. For many generations, Ma'aseh Rokeach served as the principal printed source—and in some cases the only available source—for substantial portions of Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam’s writings. As a result, it occupies a unique place in the history of Maimonidean scholarship. The work is also regarded as one of the earliest and most important attempts to establish an accurate text of the Mishneh Torah. Rabbi Rokeach systematically compared seven different textual traditions of Maimonides’ code, proposing corrections, halachic clarifications, and insightful explanations. This combination of textual criticism, broad scholarship, and mastery of rabbinic literature secured the book’s status as a classic of Torah scholarship. The author, Rabbi Mas'ud Chai Rokeach (1690–1768), was among the leading sages of the Sephardic world in the eighteenth century. In his youth he studied under the foremost rabbis of Izmir, including Rabbi Chaim Abulafia and Rabbi Yitzchak Cohen Rappaport. After immigrating to the Land of Israel, he undertook a fundraising mission to North Africa and ultimately settled in Tripoli, Libya, where he became head of the rabbinical court. His leadership brought about a significant spiritual revival among Libyan Jewry, and his influence continued for generations. His writings and rulings were accepted with great authority throughout North Africa and the broader Sephardic world. The title page is among the most attractive produced in eighteenth-century Hebrew printing, featuring depictions of Moses and Aaron surrounded by elaborate decorative motifs. Particular importance attaches to the present copy because of its ownership. The title page bears the signature of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lehren (1784–1854), one of the most influential figures in the history of the Old Yishuv. A banker and philanthropist from Amsterdam, Lehren headed the organization Pekidei ve-Amarkalei Arei HaKodesh, which coordinated and distributed charitable funds collected in Holland, Germany, and Western Europe on behalf of the Jewish communities of the Land of Israel. For decades he played a central role in sustaining the Jewish settlement in the Holy Land and became synonymous with large-scale charitable and communal initiatives. This copy includes the index leaves at the end of the volume, which are lacking in some recorded copies. [8], 286 leaves. 30 cm. Condition: Very good. Wide margins. Minor age staining. Simple binding.