Sur MeRa, dialogue between two friends, denouncing card games, by R. Yehudah Aryeh of Modena. Venice: Giovanni di Gara, 1595. First edition.

On title page: "Two speak together on the subject of games, one justifying and one condemning. The import of their words is that a person would do best to distance himself from it. A desirable reprimand for every person, clearly and pleasantly written".

The book takes the form of a literary dialogue between two friends, Eldad and Meidad (their names appear, abbreviated, wherever they speak), discussing card games and gambling of various types: one of them is a seasoned gambler, while the other attempts to dissuade him from gambling.

At the beginning of the book is an introduction by the publisher, R. Avraham Chaver Tov, describing his efforts to attain the manuscript from a certain scholar "whose Torah is his trade" – referring to the author, R. Yehudah Aryeh of Modena, whose name is not mentioned in the book. Based on R. Yehudah Aryeh's testimony (Chayei Yehudah by R. Yehudah Aryeh of Modena, Daniel Carpi edition, Tel Aviv, 1985, p. 74), he authored the present work at the young age of thirteen. Card games and gambling were familiar to R. Yehudah Aryeh, who experienced much suffering in his life, including addiction to gambling.

R. Yehudah Aryeh of Modena (1571-1648) was a rabbi in Venice, teacher, cantor, grammarian and poet, a gifted orator and preacher, a learned scholar and a fascinating and original polemicist. His other works include Tzemach Tzaddik (Venice, 1600), an autobiography Chayei Yehudah, Midbar Yehudah (Venice, 1602) with selected sermons, and many others, including some polemical works.

On p. 11b, signature of censor Giovanni Domenico Carretto, dated 1618.

12 leaves. 14 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Open tears to inner margins, slightly affecting text of several leaves, repaired with paper filling. New leather binding.

Exceptionally rare. Recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book based on a copy from a private collection (likely the present copy). Recorded in the NLI catalog based on images of the Biblioteca Palatina copy, but no printed copy held in the library.