Incunable
Foundational Mussar Sefer
Bechinas Olam with Commentary. Soncino, 1484
Sefer Bechinas Olam by the Rishon Rabbi Yedaya Hapenini, the first edition to be printed with a commentary.
This sefer, written in parable form is replete with mussar, and contrasts the vanities of this world to the eternal joy and rewards of Olam Haba.
This sefer was enthusiastically received by the masses as an exceptional work of mussar, and many famous commentators authored extensive commentaries upon it, among them the Tosfos Yom Tov (Prague, 1598). It has been translated into numerous languages and printed in multiple editions.
This sefer was first printed in Mantua in 1474 without any commentary. The present edition is
the first edition to include a commentary. This commentary is published without the identity of its author and was reprinted in many subsequent editions.
The colophon reads: “
With this, he completed his words, which are paved with radiant gold…They are invaluable. Blessed is the Compassionate G-d Who assisted us. Here in Soncino, 24 Kislev, 1484.”
Rabbi Yedaya Hapenini (circa 1270-1340) was the son of Rabbi Avraham Bedersi. He was born in Provence, in southern France, but resettled in Barcelona, Spain in his youth. He was a great admirer of the Rambam’s works, and one of the most famous praises of the Rambam, “Last of the Geonim in time, and chief in their prominence” is a quote from the present work (see last page).
Soncino, 1484. Joshua Solomon Soncino Press. Page Count: [20]
Page Size: 19.5 cm. The sefer is printed in a single column in Sephardic-Italian type. The body of the text is in block letters, and the commentary and colophon are printed in medium-size Rashi script. The sefer was printed without headers or page markers.
Bibliography: Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod, Incunables (Modi’in, 2024) #57 p. 384; Yakirson, Hebrew Incunable Catalog from the Collection of the Beth Hamedrash LeRabbonim in America Library, vol. 1 #23.
Owners’ signatures on the first page: “Tabia” refers to Rabbi David Tabia-Yellin of Lomza (1803-1863), who was one of the progenitors of the new Ashkenazic settlement in Jerusalem and founder of Etz Chaim Institutions.
540 Years Old!
Incunabula
Incunabula (plural of incunable) are books printed in Europe prior to the 16th century. The word derives from the Latin term ‘cradle’ or ‘swaddling cloth’, connoting the infancy of the printed word. While the incunable period actually stretches across a half-century, from 1445-1500, the first Hebrew presses opened only two decades years later, and thus the period of Hebrew incunabula lasted a mere thirty years, from 1469-1500.
The estimated number of Hebrew works printed during the incunable period is approximately two hundred. Incunabula are desirable collectibles, highly sought-after by antique Judaica collectors. The greatest libraries in the world vie for the quantity of incunabula in their treasured collections.
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