Bidspirit auction | Pirkei Avos. First Edition of

Pirkei Avos. First Edition of the Commentary of the Raavan and Mincha Chadasha. Cracow, 1576 * Pirkei Avos with a commentary compiled from the most important commentators on the maseches, titled Mincha Chadasha, by the gaon Rabbi Yechiel Michel Moraptshick of Lublin. The commentary was compiled from ten works, some of which are printed here for the first time: the commentary of the Raavan from ”the manuscript of the Raavan written in the year 1145,” and commentaries from ”two old parchment siddurim.” The remaining commentaries are those of Rashi, Rambam, Bartenura, Abarbanel, Pirkei Moshe (Almosnino), Beis Lechem Yehuda (Lerma), and Lev Avos (Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi). - - - - - - - - -  There is a custom to read the chapters of Pirkei Avos beginning from the festival of Pesach until the festival of Shavuos. This custom is very old and its source goes back already to the period of the Geonim, and it is mentioned in the Siddur of Rabbi Amram Gaon (Part II, 35). It became widespread in all parts of Klal Yisrael — Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and other groups. The Rema likewise rules this as halacha (Orach Chaim 292:2). - - - - - - - - -  This is one of the very earliest printings of Maseches Avos as a standalone work, and one of the most important.   It is the first printing of Maseches Pirkei Avos in an Ashkenazi country as a stand-alone sefer, rather than as part of a siddur or Mishnayos. The author, editor, and publisher, the gaon Rabbi Yechiel Michel Moraptshick , was one of the leading Polish geonim in the generation of the Rema and the Maharshal. He authored additional works, including Seder Brachos (Cracow, 1582), cited several times for halacha by the Magen Avraham; Seder Birkas Hamazon (Cracow, 1580); and he also translated a letter concerning the decree of Austria and the holy community of Vienna (Cracow, 1582?). He passed away before 1593, as he is mentioned with the blessing for the departed on the title page of Biurim on Rashi, attributed to the first Maharnas”h (Venice, 1593). This work on Maseches Avos is the greatest of his compositions. In his introduction, he writes: ”For many days and years my soul has greatly longed and yearned… to explain the ultimate purpose of this maseches, for there is great virtue in the trait of chassidus and perishus for one who wishes to adorn himself with it.” At the end of the sefer (p.82a), the author offers two reasons why the city of Tzfas was blessed with extraordinary holy tzaddikim during this period in history. These words were written close to the lifetime of the Arizal and the Beis Yosef. Cracow, c. 1576.  This year is mentioned as the year of completion of the work in the colophon on leaf 81b. Page Count: 84 leaves.   Size: 18.9 cm.  Condition: Good. New binding. On the margin of the sefer are two annotations in early Italian script, one slightly trimmed. Bibliography : Otzar Pirkei Avos, no. 22.