Incunable!
Ramban’s Commentary on the Torah. Lisbon, 1489
First Hebrew book printed in Lisbon, Portugal!
532 Year-Old Sefer!
The commentary of the Ramban (Nachmanides) Rabbeinu Moshe ben Nachman on the Chamishah Chumshei Torah.
The Ramban’s commentary is one of the most fundamental and widely-used commentaries on the Torah.
Printed in Sephardic version of Rashi script with initials at the start of new sections. 2 columns per side; the headers on each page mark the name of the respective parshah.
The end of the sefer features a poetic colophon commemorating the occasion of completing the printing of the sefer:
“
With his greatness, he helped us complete this precious book…by the Ramban…A beautiful print with proper editing… In the Jewish month of Av of the year 1489… in Eshbona…in the home of the Rabbi Eliezer…”
290 leaves out of 301. Missing 9 first leaves + last 2 leaves which are substituted with professional copies on paper color resembling the original. Stains mostly in margins and any missing sections in margins were professionally restored, vast majority of text areas is neat and complete. Ornate new leather binding with metal clasps.
Eshbona-Lisbon, 1489. Eliezer Toledano Printing Press. Page size: 27.3 cm
Bibliography: Yakirson, Catalog of Hebrew Incunabula from the collection of the Beis Hamedrash L’Rabbanim in America. Volume I p. 473-478
Ramban al Hatorah
The Ramban’s commentary on the Torah is a fundamental, classic work replete with the Ramban’s tenets of Jewish faith, philosophy and kabbalah.
"One who learns Chumash and Rashi without Ramban is as one who learns Gemara and Rashi without Tosfos” (Harav Chaim of Volozhin). The Chasam Sofer wrote that the Ramban’s commentary is
“the foundation of belief and root of Judaism.” The Ramban incorporated foundational beliefs of Jewish faith into his commentary and suffused within it many deep secrets. (Rabbi Chaim Vital, in the name of the Arizal in his introduction to Eitz Hadaas.)
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Leaf 149 features a lists of owners possibly original autographs of early 17th century sages of Jerusalem: Rabbi Yisrael Binyamin; Rabbi Yitzchak Sabah; Rabbi Shlomo Hadida; Rabbi Shem Tov. (The autographs of these Rabbanim also appear at the end of sefer Churvos Yerushalayim – Venice, 1636).
Rabbi Yisrael Binyamin – One of the great sages of Jerusalem who discoursed with the Maharikash. The venerable kabbalist Rabbi Avraham Azzulai cites him in his comments on the Levush (Shem Hagedolim by the Chid”a; Toldos Chachmei Yerushalayim Vol. 2 pps. 27-59)
Rabbi Yisrael Binyamin wrote his name without the customary second yud after the mem. The Maharam ben Chaviv cites this practice in his sefer Get Pashut (Ch. 120a Par. 127) and concludes that this is the halachic spelling of the name for the purpose of a get.
Rabbi Yitzchak Sabah – Served as a dayan in Jerusalem for over 40 years.
Rabbi Shlomo Hadida – A native of Salonika, he journeyed to Tzfas and then relocated to Chevron before finally setting in Jerusalem. He was a disciple of the Maharit who wrote extremely highly of him. (Shu”t Maharit Vol. 2 Even Ha’ezer Ch. 10-11).
Rabbi Shem Tov Loziev – One of the great sages of Jerusalem. His signature precedes those of all his contemporary Jerusalam sages in sefer Churvos Yerushalayim (Venice, 1636). He is praised in Shu”t Maharshach Vol. 2 Ch. 196.
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