Five Books of the Torah, with commentaries of Rashi and Baal HaTurim, Targum Onkelos, Targum Yonatan and Targum Yerushalmi (with commentaries), haftarot and Five Megillot. Hanau: Hans Jacopa Hena, 1611-1614.
Special copy printed on yellow paper.
Divisional title pages for Five Megillot and haftarot (main title page dated 1611, haftarot title page and colophon on last page dated 1614).
The present edition was edited by R. Chaim Feivel son of R. David Zechariah (R. Mendel), son-in-law of the Shlah, and its text was based on the personal Chumash owned and emended by the Shlah. The Shlah was known for his insistence on textual accuracy, thus the text of the Torah and Targum, and especially the Rashi commentary in the present edition, are regarded as especially accurate (the present edition was printed during the lifetime of the Shlah). Apart from emending the Torah and Targum texts, R. Chaim Feivel also added references to the Talmud, Midrash, Zohar, Recanati and Pardes Rimonim, on the page margins, as well as authoring a commentary on Targum Sheni on the Book of Esther, completed on "Erev Rosh Chodesh, Friday, 1599", according to the colophon (p. 257a).
Furthermore, this edition includes two commentaries on the Targumim: the first selected by the editor from the commentary by R. David Shebreshin (Prague, 1609) and the second selected from Kur LaZahav by R. Avraham of Ostroh (unpublished).
On verso of title page, short foreword describing the virtues of the present edition: "The first virtue is that it was printed from the Chumash emended by… R. Yeshayah HaLevi… who purified and paved the road of all errors of omission, corruption or addition, found in the Torah, Targum and especially in the commentary of Rashi. The second virtue is that we also merited to have these three Targumim by the son-in-law of the above Gaon… for they were also ridden with errors… He wrote a short and sufficient commentary for the reader to consult with no need of a rabbi or teacher, referencing three books: Zohar, Recanati and Pardes [Rimonim]… all done by the abovementioned son-in-law of the Gaon… The third virtue… is that the entire Biblical text… is proofread by R. Feivel, son-in-law of the above Gaon, very carefully, in order to enable reading as from a Tikun for Torah scrolls…".
Rashi's commentary incorporates additions from an "old Rashi" version, as well as some selections from classic Rashi commentators: R. Eliyahu Mizrachi, Maharal and Maharshal.
The Baal HaTurim commentary printed in this edition is a selection from his shorter commentary (after the Venice 1690-1691 edition).
165; 194; 196-263, 265-287, 289-291 leaves. 17 cm. Varying condition of leaves, first and last leaves in fair condition, many leaves in middle in fair-good condition. Stains. On several leaves, heavy stains and traces of wax, affecting text. Light wear. Tears and open tears, including large open tears to title page and first leaves, heavily affecting text, repaired with paper filling, with photocopy replacements (large parts of text from bottom and margins lacking from title page, affecting printing details and foreword on verso). Worming, affecting text, partially repaired with paper filling. Close trimming, bordering page headers. New binding, with defects.
Especially rare edition. The NLI catalogue records only several incomplete copies.
Provenance: Kestenbaum, New York, 17 November 1998, Lot 30.
