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Bidding Information
Lot #    21502
Auction End Date    10/7/2008 10:00:00 AM (mm/dd/yyyy)
          
Title Information
Title (English)    Sefer Mitzvot ha-Gadol (SeMaG)
Title (Hebrew)    ספר מצות הגדול
Author    R. Moses b. Jacob of Coucy (Count of Coucy)
City    Venice
Publisher    Daniel Bomberg
Publication Date    1522
          
Collection Information
Independent Item    This listing is an independent item not part of any collection
          
Description Information
Physical
Description
   [250] ff., folio, 290:197 mm., usual light age staining, lower title filled not affecting text, wide margins, old hands many ff. A very good copy bound in modern cloth boards.
          
Paragraph 1    The copy of R. Simeon Guenzburg (1506–1586), the grandson of R. Jehiel of Porto, father in law of the Rema, scion of the Guenzburg family. The family produced numerous rabbis of note, including R.Aryeh Gunzburg , author of Sha'agat Aryeh, in the 18th century, who, according to the family genealogy, was of the 11th generation to bear the name.

The copy of R. Isaac Izik Grieshaber (1741-1822), rabbi of Paks, author of Makal Noam (Vienna 1799), main polemic against Aaron Hariner and the Reform movement.

          
Detailed
Description
   The SeMaG deals with the 365 prohibitions and the 248 commandments of the Mosaic law, separately expounding each of them according to the Talmudic tradition and the decisions of the Rabbis. The SeMaG is written with much clearness and is a rich source for the history of halakic literature, as it quotes numerous rabbinical authors and works of the past. It aroused much enthusiasm when it first became known, and has been always held in high respect, as is evidenced by the number of its editions, commentaries, and compilations. The first edition appeared before 1480. The second edition was printed at Soncino in 1488 by Gershon ben Moses Soncino - the first book printed in his office. Subsequent editions appeared as follows: Venice, 1522; with R. Isaac Stein's and R. Elijah Mizrahi's commentaries, ib. 1547; with R. Isaac Stein's, R. Elijah Mizrahi's, and R. Solomon Luria's commentaries, and R. Judah Najjara's annotations, Leghorn, 1808. R. Joseph Kremenetz likewise wrote a commentary on the "SeMaG," under the title "Bi'ure SeMaG" (Venice, 1605); and R. Samuel Galante wrote a compendium under the title "Netibot ha-'Olam" (Lemberg, 1807).

R. Moses b. Jacob of Coucy (Count of Coucy) (13th century), French scholar and tosafist. His father Jacob is mentioned a number of times in the printed tosafot (Kid. 43b; et al.). Moses was the maternal grandson of the tosafist R. Hayyim ha-Kohen and brother-in-law of R. Samson of Coucy. His principal teacher was R. Judah Sir Leon.

In 1235 R. Moses traveled in France, and in 1236 in Spain, lecturing publicly in the synagogues on the prescriptions of the Mosaic law and admonishing his audiences to observe them, at the same time, however, emphasizing the truth that mere observance of the oral law to the neglect of justice and brotherly consideration toward others, irrespective of faith or race, can not be counted as meritorious ("SeMaG," Prohibition No. 64; Commandments Nos. 7 and 74). In Spain he found that a number of Jews had married Christians and Mohammedans, and he succeeded in bringing about their divorce (Prohibition No. 112; Commandment No. 3, end). He knew the French, Spanish, and Arabic languages, and was an eloquent speaker; hence he was called "ha-darshan". In 1240, R. Moses was one of the four rabbis who, in a public disputation in Paris, were required to defend the Talmud against the accusations of Donin; R. Jehiel, however, was the only speaker among them. In 1250 R. Moses finished his "Sefer Mitzvot," afterward called "Sefer Mitzvot ha-Gadol" (abbreviated "SeMaG") in order to discriminate it from an extract arranged by R. Isaac of Corbeil and called "Sefer Mitzvot ha-Katon" (abbreviated "SeMaK").

          
Paragraph 2    קולופון: ותשלם המלאכה, בשנת רפ"ב בראש חדש אדר השני על ידי האחים בני ברוך אדיל קינד מפדואה בשם דניאל בומבירגי ובביתו.
          
Reference
Description
   CD-EPI 0149826; EJ; JE
        
Associated Images
6 Images (Click thumbnail to view full size image):
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Listing Classification
Period
16th Century:    Checked
  
Location
Italy:    Checked
  
Subject
Halacha:    Checked
  
Characteristic
Autographed:    Checked
Language:    Hebrew
  
Manuscript Type
Other:    Signatures
  
Kind of Judaica