Regulazione shel ha-Hevrah…le-Hassi Betulot (Regulations of the “le-Hassi Betulot” Society), Venice: Gerolimo Bragadin, 1665

58 pages (8 ¼ x 5 ¾ in.; 210 x 145 mm). Decorative woodcut title page in Hebrew; Text printed in Hebrew and Italian in parallel columns; PAGINATION: [1-2], 2, 4-32, 41-48, 33-40, 49-56, [2]= 58 pp.; quire E (pp. 33-40) bound out of order. Lightly dampstained. Later calf, rubbed; titles gilt on spine.

Jacob Aboab—his signature on rear free endpaper

Vinograd, Venice 1369.

The le-Hassi Betulot society of the Levantine Jewish community in Venice was a charitable organization, whose main purpose was to provide dowries for the young women of the community. A brief historical essay which precedes the actual regulations explains that the society was first founded in 1653, at which time the founders adopted regulations that were to obtain for 12 years. The present set of 40 regulations was adopted by the vote of the members at several meetings between May of 1664 and May of 1665. The text of each article is followed by the tally of yeas and nays as recorded by the scribe. All texts are printed in both Hebrew and Italian, though article 34 calls for any disputes regarding the meaning of the printed text to be resolved in favor of the Italian version. The text also lists the names of nearly 100 members of the society, beginning with the founders, and including the names of those members who joined subsequently.