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Only edition of this super-commentary on the Torah commentary of R. Bahya ben Asher ben Hlava by the Libyan sage R. Hayyim ben Solomon ha-Kohen of Tripoli. The front leaf, preceding the title page, is a dedicatory page in red with the heading Minhah Shelucha to be filled in with the name of the recipient. In this edition, at the top of the page, is a hand written notation in Italian that states that this copy was part of the Hebrew monograph collection in Tripoli of Gabriel di Vittorio Raccahand Proffesor Umberto (Moses David) Cassuto, the latter a renowned Italian historian and biblical and Semitic scholar. There is an introduction from R. Hayyim ha-Kohen followed by the text.
R. Bahya ben Asher ben Hlava, whose Torah commentary is the subject of Torat Hayyim, was one of the most distinguished of the Biblical exegetes of Spain; born about the middle of the thirteenth century at Saragossa; died 1340. A pupil of R. Solomon ben Adret, R. Bahya did not, like his eminent teacher, devote his attention to Talmudic science, but to Biblical exegesis, taking for his model R. Moses ben Nahman, the teacher of R. Solomon ben Adret, who was the first to make use of the Kabbalah as a means of interpreting the Scriptural word. He discharged with zeal and earnestness the duties of a darshan in Saragossa, sharing this position with several others, and on this account receiving but a small salary, which was scarcely enough to support him and his family; but neither his struggle for daily bread nor the reverses that he suffered (to which he referred in the introduction to his commentary on the Pentateuch) diminished his interest in religious studies in general, and in Biblical exegesis in particular. R. Bahya's principal work was his commentary on the Pentateuch, in the preparation of which he thoroughly investigated the works of former Biblical exegetes, using all the methods employed by them in his interpretations. He enumerates the following four methods, all of which in his opinion are indispensable to the exegete: (1) The "Peshaṭ," or the simple and direct exposition advocated by Rashi and R. Ḥananel ben Ḥushiel, whom R. Baḥya recognizes as authorities, and whose works he industriously employs. (2) The "Midrash," or the haggadic exegesis, accorded considerable space in his commentary; there being scarcely a haggadic work which has not been employed by him. However, he usually confines himself to a literal quotation without further exposition. (3) The method of Reason, or philosophical exegesis, the aim of which is to demonstrate that philosophical truths are already embodied in Holy Writ, which as a work of God transcends all the wisdom of man. He therefore recognizes the results of philosophical thought only in so far as they do not conflict with Scripture and tradition. (4) The method of the Cabala, termed by him "the path of light," which the truth-seeking soul must travel. It is by means of this method, R. Bahya believes, that the deep mysteries hidden in the Scriptural word may be revealed, and many a dark passage elucidated. |
