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Baal HaTurim’s Commentary on the Torah Venice, 1544  * Pearls of wisdom, gematrios, roshei teivos, and textual comments on Chamisha Chumshei Torah, authored by Rabbeinu Yaakov Baal HaTurim, one of the greatest poskim of all generations. Rabbeinu Yaakov Baal HaTurim’s brilliant commentary, authored in a distinct, concise style replete with pearls of wisdom and allusions, is one of the most popular and beloved interpretations of the Torah. The Baal HaTurim commentary was included in hundreds of editions of the Chumash. In this edition, however, it was printed independently. (The original commentary, which consists primarily of explanations in the way of pshat, was first printed in its entirety in Zolkiew in 1806). The sefer was first printed in Constantinople in 1514, and is exceedingly rare (some bibliographers never even saw it). The present volume is the second edition. The colophon of this edition appears on the final leaf: “…and its completion was on Thursday, the 16th day of the month of Elul, in the year 5304 [1544], here in Venice, the great and illustrious city…” Venice, 1544. Second edition. Page Count: 65, [1] leaves. Size : 19 cm. Condition : Many stains, slight wear. Reinforcements affixed to the endpapers. Brief notes from approximately the 17th–18th century appear on leaves 15a, 42b, 44a, and 45a. There are signatures on the title page of Isaac the physician, son of Avraham Shlomo the physician; both are mentioned in Kuntres HaMekonen (Vienna, 1881), p. 15. Provenance : Kestenbaum Auction (2002). Bibliography : Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod, no. 6 (notes).