Lot 36:

Mishneh Torah LehaRambam, I-II, Venice, [1550-1551]. The edition that led to the burning of the...

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Mishneh Torah LehaRambam, I-II, Venice, [1550-1551]. The edition that led to the burning of the Talmud in 1553. Rare.

Mishneh Torah, I-II, three volumes by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, the Rambam. With the Migdal Oz, Maggid Mishnah, Hagahot Maimoniyot and Hagahot Maharam Padova. Marco Antonio Justinian Press, Venice, [1550-1551]. The rare and important fifth edition. (4 leaves of volume II are missing from almost all copies, including those of digital collections).

It should be noted that the leaves with the Hagahot Maharam Padova are rare and do not appear in all copies, both of the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book and of the National Library. All these copies contain Hagahot only at the end of Volume I and these are not the Hagahot referred to in Kuntres Mishneh Torah LaRambam – Bibliography of Editions by Yisrael Yaakov Dinstag, who refers to Hagahot at the end of volume II as well.

The version of Sefer Hamitzvot and Mishne Torah was edited by Maharam Padova and his son Rabbi Shmuel Yehuda Katznelboigen. The Maharam Padova, who invested time and money in the printing of this edition, expected to profit from its sales; however, the Venetian printer Justinian, Bragadin’s competitor, stole the Maharam Padova’s glosses and printed them in this edition in Venice during the years 1550-1551, as he boasts on the title page; however, he did not bind them in most of the copies. In this copy, the glosses appear, making it extremely rare!

The Rema in Shut Rema Siman 10 wrote sharply on the subject.

This dispute between the printers, which had grown out of control, and the accusation that the Talmud that was printed by Justinian during the years 1546-1551 was defaming Christianity led to it that on Rosh Hashana of 1554, the Pope ordered to burn at the stake Talmud books and additional Hebrew books that had been confiscated from Jews. Later, Hebrew books were burned all over Italy, as well as in Crete and Corfu and the printing of Hebrew books was banned in Venice for ten years.

In this edition, Justinian the printer did something that should not have been done. Not only did he print some of Maharam Padova’s glosses without his permission, but he also outdid himself by adding ridiculing words above them: "אלו הם התוספות שהוסיף וכתב מדעתו הרב מהר"ר מאיר מפדואה. בכתבו אמר המגיה עם היד פושטת אשר פשט ושלח ידו במלאכי אלהים בדפוס המיימוני של הבראגדין, והדפסנום פה כדי שכל חכם ותלמיד ילמוד ויעיין בהם. ואם טובות וישרות הם – יקיימם ויאשרם, ואם לאו – ישיג עליהם כראוי לפי שכלו, גם כי לכדי [לחינם] נכתבו וכמאן דליתי דמי, כי כל ארץ תימן ומערב הסכימו להעבירם מעל הספר, כי אם באולי מטעם שטעה הרב הנז'[כר], ואם מטעם שבא לבאר דברים יבינם אפילו בר בי רב דחד יומא".

Sections I-II, appearing in this copy in three volumes:

I, volume 1 – Sefer Hamitzvot followed by Mada-Zemanim. [1550]: [4], 43, [1], 25-26, 1, 10-228 leaves. 38 cm. The entire Sefer Hamitzvot with hasagot HaRamban. Owner’s signature on the title page. With [2] handwritten scholarly glosses, cut at the edge of the leaves. With a stamp of Salem Moree Awad and Eyatz ben Rabbi Matana Said. And with an ownership notation of Salem Eyatz who bought the book from Moree Salem Eyatz in 1926.

I, volume 2 – Sefer Nashim – Kedusha. [1550]: 229-389, [1] leaves. 37 cm. Moth holes and blemished corners were professionally restored. With a lengthy, handwritten gloss, cut at the edge of the leaf. The edges of some leaves were trimmed on border of text for the re-binding of the book. Foreign notation on the lower part of leaf 389.

II – Sefer Hafla’ah – Shoftim. [1551]: [392]-667, [5] leaves. 41 cm. Signatures and notations on the title page, a foreign notation on leaf 767.

Aging stains. Some tears and taping. Bound in three new, elegant leather bindings. Very good condition.

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