Commentary on Pentateuch, Levi ben Gerson (Gersonides), [Provence?, 15th century]

Levi ben Gershom (1288–1344), known as Gersonides or by the acronym Ralbag, was a mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and biblical commentator. Born probably at Languedoc, he lived primarily in Orange and briefly in Avignon. From each book of the Bible, Gersonides extracts the ethical, philosophical, and religious teachings from the text and calls them to'alot or to'aliyyot. Diverse questions of a philosophical or theological nature are discussed by him, such as the problem of providence, miracles, and the Messiah. On Gersonides, see also Montefiore mss. 29 and 38.

Volume 1 of the present manuscript contains Gersonides’ commentary on the book of Leviticus. Volume 2 contains his commentary on the book of Numbers and Deuteronomy. The author’s colophon indicates that the text was completed in 1338 (vol. 2, fols. 79r, 197v).

Signed by the censors Dominico Carrretto 1617 (fol. 196v); Caesar Belliosus, 1599 (fol. 197v); and Dominico Irosolomitano 1599 (fol. 197v).

Sotheby’s is grateful to Menahem Schmelzer z”l and Benjamin Richler for cataloguing this manuscript.

Provenance

Pelligrino Motifiasconi; June 1567 (?), (owner’s inscription, in Italian script, vol. 1, fol. 1r) — Jacob and Solomon, the sons of Abraham Cohen  (owner’s note, vol. 2, fol. 197v: Higia le-helkenu Yaakov u-Shelomo zera Abraham kohen le-el elyon) — Solomon Halberstam (shelf no. 329)

Physical Description

2 volumes on paper. Volume 1: 147 leaves; Volume 2: 197 leaves, 11 ¾ x 8 ¾ inches; 298 x 223 mm, 29 lines, ruled in hardpoint, written in brown ink in Sefardi (Provencal) semi-cursive script, names of the weekly portions are given in top margin, catchwords, modern foliation in pencil; vol. 1, fol. 1 damaged but not affecting text, some marginal dampstaining, overall, in good condition. Modern leather binding.

Literature

Hirschfeld (mss. nos. 22-23); in his edition of Gersonides’ Commentary on the Pentateuch (1992-1998), Y. L. Levy made use of several manuscript versions in private collections, but did not consider the present manuscript