SEFER TEHILLAH LE-DAVID (TREATISE ON JEWISH THEOLOGY), RABBI DAVID BEN JUDAH MESSER LEON, CONSTANTINOPLE: JOSEPH JABEZ, [CA. 1576]

An important work of Jewish philosophy, with distinguished Hasidic provenance.

Rabbi David ben Judah Messer Leon (ca. 1470-ca. 1526) was born in Mantua and studied in various yeshivot in Italy but relocated to the Ottoman Empire around the turn of the century. Like his famous father, David combined vast erudition in Jewish subjects, including Kabbalah, with an avid, Renaissance-inspired interest in general culture, particularly philosophy. The present work, during whose composition he passed away, is an encyclopedic summary of Jewish theology as it had been developed up to his time. Organized according to the scholastic method and heavily influenced by both Thomas Aquinas and Maimonides, the book is divided into three parts: (1) on the Torah and the perfection of its tradents, particularly Moses (ff. [1v]-36r); (2) on the principles of faith (ff. 36r-68r); and (3) on the essence of God, His Thirteen Attributes, divine Providence, reward and punishment, fate and free will, etc. (ff. 68v-97r). The book was published by Leon’s grandson, Aaron, who appended an epilogue, indices, and two additional essays by his grandfather at the rear. The present exemplar was owned by Rabbi Nahum Dov Ber Friedman of Sadagora (1843-1883), grandson of the great Rabbi Israel Friedman of Ruzhin.