LaYesharim Tehillah, a morality play by R. Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, the Ramchal. [Amsterdam]: sons of Shlomo Katz Proops, [1743].

Half-title (with title of work in red), followed by title page (partly in red). On the title page: "Poem for the wedding day of the wise R. Yaakov de Chaves and the modest, praiseworthy virgin bride Ms. Rachel da Veiga Enriques".

LaYesharim Tehillah is one of three plays written by the Ramchal (the other two are Maaseh Shimshon and Migdal Oz) and is considered one of his most important literary works. The heroine of the play is Tehillah (Praise), daughter of Hamon (Multitude), who is designated to wed Yosher (Rectitude), son of Emet (Truth), but due to the conquest of the city by the army of Mevuchah (Confusion), erroneously the designated groom Yosher was exchanged with Rahav (Pride), son of the maidservant Sichlut (Folly). Side characters include Rahav's friend Tarmit (Deceit), Yosher's friend Sechel (Intellect), Yosher's wetnurse Savlanut (Patience), and others. With a masterly use of language, the work addresses issues of ethics and philosophy in an accessible and interesting guise. In his introduction to the play, the Ramchal writes: "There is nothing like a parable to sprout truth and to teach knowledge, to bring the hidden into the light, to open unseeing eyes...".

The Ramchal printed only 50 copies of this work, in celebration of the marriage of his friend R. Yaakov de Chaves, to give to the bride and groom and to their relatives. In his introduction to the second edition (Berlin, 1780), the publisher Shlomo Dubno writes: "This book was printed by the author himself in Amsterdam, in 1743, and he only printed 50 copies that were all brought to the libraries of wealthy Sephardi individuals in Amsterdam. Therefore, one seeking the book cannot obtain it unless he musters up a large sum, so I have reprinted it". Due to the popularity of the work, it has been printed many times.

This edition of LaYesharim Tehillah has a particularly high bibliophilic value. Printed on high-quality paper with very wide margins, it is one of the greatest achievements of 18th-century Hebrew printing in Amsterdam.

A leaf is mounted inside the front board and on the endpaper with an original handwritten poem in honor of the groom Yaakov and the bride Rachel, with the couple's name in acrostic, by Shlomo Abendalak. The leaf is cut in the middle, with the larger top part mounted inside the front board, and the smaller bottom part mounted on the endpaper (on the bottom of the endpaper is mounted a photocopy of an official document attesting to the couple's marriage).

Enclosed is a leaf printed (by Proops) especially for the couple's wedding, with a riddle in honor of the wedding by Yaakov son of Avraham Bashan. The top-center of the leaf features an illustration, followed by the riddle poem (a manuscript leaf of this riddle is found in the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana, Amsterdam, no. PI-A-19). [Yaakov son of Avraham Bashan was one of the proofreaders of Mesilat Yesharim, which the Ramchal had earlier printed in Amsterdam, 1740].

[42] leaves. 29.5 cm. Gilt edges (partly faded). Thick, high-quality paper. Overall good condition. Stains. Original binding, with decorated leather spine. Wear and defects to spine.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.