Physical Description:

[2], 58; [59]-130 ff., quarto, 192:156 mm., age and damp staining, nice margins, upper margin trimmed. A good copy bound in recent cloth over boards.

Detailed Description:   

Kabbalistic, moral, and ethical text by R. Elijah b. Abraham Solomon ha-Kohen ha-Itamari (<1640-1729). He was born in Smyrna, where he was educated by R. Benjamin Melamed (he recods the eulogy in Midrash Elijah), a leading Rabbi of Izmir (Smyrna) and became a homiletic preacher. R. Elijah's opposition to Shabbetai Zevi and his associates earned him much grief at home. He apparently cared for orphans as his writings display an extremely detailed knowledge of the physical and psychological suffering of the poor. A prolific writer he is best remembered for his ethical work Shevet Mussar (Rod of Admonition), which has seen numerous editions and been translated into many languages. The first edition of Shevet Mussar was issued in Constantinople in 1712.

This edition features two title pages, the first inside an illustrated architectural frame, with an illustration of the Tomb of Zechariah. The other inside a decorative frame with an illustration of the Western Wall. Two parts. The second part has its own title page in which there is an illustration of a modern printing press descending from heaven and surrounded by clouds [S. Halevi photographed the illustrated "machine" in the introduction to her book, page 27] On the reverse side of the title page is the approbations of Jerusalem rabbis, R. Moses Judah Loeb of Kutna, R. Meir Auerbach, R. Nahum Levi of Shadik and R. Hayyim David Hazan.

Hebrew Description:

... ופירוש המלות החמורות ודברי קשה ההבנה הצגנו בסוף כל עמוד בציוני א"ב ... חלק [א]-ב. דפוס יחיאל ברי"ל, מיכל הכהן, יואל משה בהר"מ [שאלאמאן], שנת חשך ש'ב'ט'ו' שונא בנו ואוהבו שחרו מ'ו'ס'ר'

שני שערים. הסכמות רבני ירושלים: ר' משה יהודה ליב ב"ר בנימין [זילבערבערג מקוטנא], ר' מאיר אוירבאך ור' נחום בהרמ"א [אברהם לוי] , מנחם[-אב תרכ"ג; ר' חיים דוד חזן, א תמוז תרכ"ג.

References:

Bibliography of the Hebrew Book 1470-1960 #000120646; Shoshana Halevi, Jerusalem Imprints 85; Vinograd Jerusalem 124; EJ