Orchot Tzadikim, "to instruct and enlighten the foolish heart of stone, and extract it from the muddy path". Prague: Mordechai son of Gershom Katz and sons, 1581. First Hebrew edition.

First Hebrew edition of Orchot Tzadikim, one of the most famous musar books, eventually printed in over one hundred editions. The book's central theme is the importance of correcting one's character traits as a foundation for a life of Torah and mitzvot. The book contains 28 chapters (whose names are printed on verso of the title page), comprised of various character traits and their opposites, such as humility and arrogance, shame and boldness, love and hate, mercy and cruelty, and more. A chapter is dedicated to each of the character traits, as well as several chapters on the importance of studying Torah, fear of heaven and teshuvah. The author's identity is unknown, but the book is estimated to have been authored ca. mid-15th century.

A Yiddish translation of Orchot Tzadikim was printed by Paul Fagius in Isny, 1542, under the name Sefer Midot (according to the title page of that edition, the book was intended to be read by women; interestingly, this is the first book to be printed in Yiddish before it was printed in Hebrew). On the present title page, the printers state that "since it is not common among us, because it was not printed in our times, we have therefore decided to endeavor and print it in order to grant the public the merit of reading and studying it, until its words are familiar and study brings to deed…".

On the verso of the last leaf is a printer's mark: an imagined illustration of the Temple, with a ribbon bearing the biblical caption "Great will be the honor of this house, says the Lord of legions" (the names of the typesetters are printed in the top and bottom margins in Tzenah URenah type). See: A. Yaari, Diglei HaMadpisim HaIvriyim, Jerusalem 1944, no. 40, note on p. 138.

On title page, signature of "Yonah of the family Bondi" – R. Moshe Yonah Bondi of Prague and Mainz (1768-1806), disciple of the Noda BiYehudah, son-in-law of R. Hertz Avraham Naftali Scheuer, Rabbi of Mainz. Although he died at a young age, he was renowned as a great Torah scholar and tzaddik. Some of his novellae were published by his son R. Shmuel Bondi, in Torei Zahav, Mainz 1875.

Additional inscriptions on title page. Handwritten references to verses on one leaf.

[58] leaves. 19 cm. Somewhat dark paper. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Light wear. Tears, including tears to title page, with paper repairs on verso of title page and margins of several leaves. Close trimming, affecting title frame. New binding.

On the date and place of authorship, see: Yosef Jeffrey Woolf, When Was Orchot Tzadikim Authored?, Kiryat Sefer, LXIV, 1992-1993, pp. 321-322 (Hebrew).

CB, no. 3413.