Fundamental Commentary on the Torah
Sefer Yesod
Tzror Hamor. First Edition. Venice, 1523
Kabbalistic commentary on the Chamishah Chumshei Torah by Rabbi Avraham Sava, one of the notable Torah sages from the era of the Spanish Expulsion.
One of the foundational commentaries on the Torah, ‘Tzror Hamor’ is a compilation of explanations based on both pshat and kabbalah. The sefer includes numerous references to the Zohar and mussar teachings.
One particularly famous halachic ruling originally sourced in the ‘Tzror Hamor’ is the practice of reading Bnei Yisrael’s travels in Parshas Masei without any interruptions. (This halachah is later quoted by the Magen Avraham and Shem Hagedolim Ch. Tzror Hamor.)
Rabbi Avraham Sava was one of the illustrious sages of Castile. In 1492, following the Spanish Expulsion, he relocated to Portugal. Yet when the evil hand of the Inquisition reached Portugal as well, he fled to Fez, Morocco. He passed away on a boat en route to Italy and was laid to rest in Verona. His original attempt at writing ‘Tzror Hamor’ was in Castile prior to the expulsion. Forced to leave his native land, he had no choice but to bury his manuscripts. Upon settling in Fez, he attempted to rewrite it from memory.
Venice, 1523. First Edition. Daniel Bomberg Press.
Page Count: [171] leaves.
Page Size: 29 cm.
Condition: Good, with mild stains. Minuscule holes in last leaves. New half-leather binding.
The owner’s signature, Yitzchak Toledano, appears on the title pages and the three pages preceding the title page feature Divrei Torah written in antique Eastern script. Several handwritten comments and amendments appear throughout the sefer.
Bibliography: Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod #14.
