Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berakhot, Venice, Daniel Bomberg: 1520

Estimate

100,000 - 150,000 USD

bidding is closed

Description

paper

92+6 leaves (14 1/4 x 10 1/4 in.; 362 x 260 mm). collation: 1-10^{8, 11-12^{6, 1^{6=98 leaves. Berakhot comprises 92 leaves, not the 90 mistakenly called for by most bibliographers. The additional six leaves are the introduction to Maimonides commentary to the order Zeraim, absent in nearly all copies. Institutional ownership note on title page. Occasional Latin marginalia. Marginal dampstaining; a stain f. 42r-43v . A single wormhole not affecting text, ff.1-30. Half vellum.}}}

Literature

Vinograd, Venice 23; Habermann 18

Catalogue Note

the scarcest volume of the entire first edition; never before offered at auction

Berakhot (Benedictions or Blessings), is the first tractate of the order Zera'im. The tractate deals with aspects of the daily liturgy. It is concerned primarily with the laws governing formal prayers and blessings. Berakhot is the longest tractate in the Babylonian Talmud (by word count), owing to its extensive collection of aggadic material, much of it appearing as loosely connected digressions. Although some of these passages offer valuable insights into the rabbis' attitudes towards prayer (often defined as a plea for divine mercy), the material covers a vast assortment of themes, including biblical expositions, hagiographical narratives, dream interpretation, and a great deal of folklore.