Chumash Toras HaElokim: Original First Jewish Translation of the Bible into English . Philadelphia, 1847
Chamisha CHumshei Torah and Haftarahs with an English translation from Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Uri ben Eliezer (Leeser).
Lesser was the very first Jew to translate the Jewish bible into English without the assistance of foreign translations created by gentiles for the purpose of their New Testament.
Published in Philadelphia, 1845 – 1846, this particularly well-kept set is comprised of five parts in total. It includes a long introduction at the beginning of Bereishis, as well as a key of concepts at the end of Devarim. There are three title pages at the beginning of each volume and an additional title page for Haftaras.
The translation and original text are laid out on opposite pages.
Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Uri Leeser (1806 – 1868) emigrated from Germany to the United States at the age of nineteen. He served in various Rabbinical positions and eventually became the Rabbi of the Mikveh Yisrael community in Philadelphia. He was an avid opponent of any changes to authentic Judaism and a stickler for Halachah.
Bereishis: 10, 174, [1] page; Shemos: 167: 168, [1] page | Vayikra: 152: 153 pages (including Mgillas Esther); Bamidbar: 158: 149, [1] page; Devarim: 134: 147 pages
23 cm | Beautiful, quality printing | Gilded pages | Identical leather bindings with quality engravings and matching sectional case