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Lot : 14

Extremely Rare!

Kesef Nivchar
Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto The First

Damascus, 1605

Start price: $20,000

Est. Price: $25,000 - $35,000

Extremely Rare!

Kesef Nivchar

Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto The First

Damascus, 1605

Essays, commentary and novella on the Torah portions of Bereishis, Shmos and Vayikrah by the saintly kabbalist and Rav Hamusmach Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto.

The great kabbalist and genius Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto (circa 1565-1648), also renowned as the Rav Hamusmach, of the forefathers of the glorious Pinto dynasty whose “Fame and light spread throughout the world” (Chida, Shem Hagedolim). He authored many important sefarim and is especially famous for his commentary Mahari’f on aggada printed in the popular sefer Ein Yaakov. Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto was the nephew and mechutan of the formidable kabbalist Rabbi Chaim Vital.

Rabbi Yoshiyahu’s was ordained by his grandfather Rabbi Yaakov Beirav II and he utilized this force of semichah to ordain his talmid Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto. Harav Pinto was subsequently called the “Rav Hamusmach.”

Jewish printing press in Damascus by Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto

The founding of a Jewish printing press in Damascus is a clear testimony to the immense efforts of Damascene Jews to ensure the perpetuation of Torah Judaism and their teachings to future generations. It also reveals the miraculous flourishing of their community despite the animosity and oppression of their gentile neighbors.

Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto invested much effort in printing his sefer Kesef Nivchar. The print type was brought from heirs of the Tzfas printing press, and the printer himself traveled to Damascus from Salonika. Ultimately, Rabbi Pinto was disappointed with the final product, “As the print type did not emerge as desired, ” and decided to give up on his printing endeavors. Hence, Kesef Nivchar was the first and only Jewish book to be printed in Syria up until the 20th century.

Damascus, 1605-6. First edition. 124 leaves. Page size: 28 cm. Professional restorations on the title page and in few other pages, thick paper.

New ornate green leather binding with gold and black decorations.

Yaari, ‘Hebrew printing in Damascus’, in his book ‘Hebrew printing in the eastern countries’ part 1 pp. 3-29

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