Book of Euclid
Hague, 1780
Printed at the Instruction
of the Vilna Gaon.
Complete copy autographed by the author with all charts included!
Foundations of geometry by the ancient Greek Mathematician Euclid translated into Hebrew by Rabbi Baruch Schick of Shklov, dayan of Minsk.
Impressive copy printed on high-quality thick paper. The end of the book features three folded leaves with a range of geometric drawings. These end leaves are mostly missing or damaged in the majority of extant copies, yet the present copy is complete with all these pages in excellent condition.
The last page features the autograph of the author
“Hakatan Baruch.”
Printed at the Behest of the Vilna Gaon
In his introduction to this work, Rabbi Boruch inscribes:
“When I was in the honorable community of Vilna at the great luminary…the renowned and pious scholar Moreinu Harav Eliyahu in the month of Teves, 5538, I heard from his holy mouth that inasmuch one is lacking knowledge in other subjects of wisdom he would be lacking a hundred portions in the wisdom of Torah, for Torah and [other] wisdoms connect together … He instructed me to copy what is possible into our holy language…” (See: Rabbi David Kamenetzky, Toras HaGr”a. Jerusalem, 2018, Ch. 10 p. 537-546.
Rabbi Baruch Schick of Shklov (1744-1808) was a scion of the illustrious Schick family of Shklov. A genius and kabbalist who was versed both in the Revealed and Hidden Torah and secular wisdoms, he received semichah from Rabbi Avraham Katzenellenbogen, Av Beis Din of Brisk, and was appointed to the Beis Din of Minsk. Aside from the present work, he also edited and prepared numerous sefarim for print, among them Yesod Olam, Knei Middah and Derech Yesharah. His descendants include the Mishkenos Yaakov and the Keren Orah.
Hague, 1780. First and only edition. [4], 51, [1] leaf, 3 folded leaves. Page size: 19 cm. The sefer features the approbation of Rabbi Shaul of Amsterdam, author of Binyan Ariel. Complete copy in good condition, with an attractive new half-leather binding.
Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod #506
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