Tanhumot El (Consolations of God), Isaac ben Moses ibn Arroyo, Salonika: David ben Abraham Azubib, 1578-1579

158 leaves (10 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.; 265 x 190 mm). Title page and f. 158 strengthened at gutter with inexpert tape repairs; tear at f.59; dampstained; pencil annotations. Later parchment on boards; rebacked with gilt titles on black leather lettering piece.

Vinograd, Salonika 100; Ginze Yisrael 885; Steinschneider, 5394.

The title Tanhumot El (Consolations of God), comes from the Book of Job (ch.15:11) where the phrase appears as part of the oration of Eliphaz the Temanite.  The author of this sixteenth century collection of homiles on the Pentateuch, Isaac ben Moses ibn Arroyo, saw himself in many ways as parallel to the eponymous protagonist in the Book of Job, the quintessential archetype of human suffering. Arroyo writes in his introduction that he has named the book Tanhumot El because the words contained therein have provided him with some measure of solace from "all the grief of my life and the death of all my children, save one small lad." 

In addition to the weekly Torah portions, Arroyo arranges his comments on various sections from the Prophets or Hagiographa so that they coincide with the seasonally appropriate passages of the lectionary.  Thus, the Scroll of Esther is invoked at the time of Purim, the Song of Songs for Passover, Proverbs and the Mishnah tractate of Avot for the period between Passover and Shavuot, and so on.  At the end of the volume is a poem in praise of the book by a contemporary Salonikan Jewish poet, Saadiah Longo.

During the sixteenth century Salonika was a vibrant city with thirty independent congregations and a Jewish population estimated at over 20,000 in 1553. In addition to rabbinical schools, there was a bet midrash (study hall) for liturgical poetry and singing, as well as a bet midrash for secular studies where medicine, natural sciences, astronomy, and other subjects were taught. The Azubib press in Salonika which had purchased its typographic material from Joseph Ya'abetz was only active for ten years. Consequently, works from this press including the present volume are quite scarce.