Physical Description

[4], 27, [11] ff. quarto 200:160 mm., nice margins, heavy use and age staining, bound in contemporary boards, rubbed and split

Detail Description

R. Moses ben Maimon’s (Maimonides, Rambam) Millot ha-Higgayon as translated by R. Moses Ibn Tibbon with the commentary of Moses Mendelssohn, followed by Kuzari Sheni (Matteh Dan) by R. David Nieto. Bi’ur Bi’ur Millot ha-Higgayon was written by Maimonides at the age of sixteen as Makalah fi-Sina'at al-Mantik and translated into Hebrew by R. Moses ibn Tibbon. It is on the terminology of logic, in fourteen chapters. The accompanying work, Kuzari Sheni, by, was first written in Hebrew and Spanish on the model of the Kuzari of R. Judah ha-Levi. R. Nieto defends the oral law against the Karaites, and shows that the contradictions of the Talmud lay not in essentials but in externals. It is R. Nieto’s magnum opus, devoted to a defense of the Oral Law against the attacks of ex-Marranos to whom the rabbinic tradition was both novel and unacceptable, has frequently been reprinted as a defense of rabbinic Judaism In it R. Nieto waged war untiringly on the supporters of the Shabbethaian heresies, which he regarded as dangerous to the best interests of Judaism.

R. David Nieto (1654-1728) was haham of the Sephardic community in London. He was born in Venice and died in London. He first practiced as a physician and officiated as a Jewish preacher at Leghorn, Italy. There he wrote in Italian a work entitled "Paschologia" (Cologne, 1702), in which he dealt with the differences of calculation in the calendars of the Greek, Roman, and Jewish churches, and demonstrated the errors which had crept into the calendar from the Council of Nice until 1692. In 1702 R. Nieto succeeded R. Solomon Ayllon as ecclesiastical chief of the Portuguese Jews in London; and two years after his settlement in that city he published his theological treatise, "Della Divina Providencia, ó sea Naturalezza Universal, ó Natura Naturante" (London, 1704). This work provoked much opposition against him; and it was used by his opponents as ground for accusing him openly of Spinozism, which at that period was equivalent to atheism. However, R. Ẓebi Ashkenazi, who was called in as arbitrator, decided in his favor (Ḥakam Ẓebi, Responsa, No. 18). R. Nieto, a powerful controversialist, was one of the most accomplished Jews of his time and was equally distinguished as philosopher, physician, poet, mathematician, astronomer, and theologian. A prolific writer, his intercourse with Christian scholars was extensive, especially with Ungar, the bibliographer. Nieto was the first to fix the time for the beginning of Sabbath eve for the latitude of England.

Hebrew Description:

... [מנוקד] עם פירוש מספיק... עם (שני הויכוחים הראשונים מהספר) כוזרי השני להרב... דוד בן ניטו ז"ל ... הובא לדפוס על ידי... דוב בער בן... ר' ארי' ליב הלוי בן... ר' יהודא אב"ד דק"ק וויסאקי דליטא בן... ר' שמואל (סג"ל) ממשפחת מהרש"א ז"ל מק"ק דאלהינב במדינת ליטא...

דף [2,ב]: "הקדמת המגיה והמעתיק... דוב בער... מעיין יצא מחכם וגדול אחד מחכמי דורנו [משה מענדעלסזאהן]... שהוסיף כמה שרשי' וגדרים מדיליה. וכבר הובא לדפוס ע"י... ר' שמשון הקלירי [פראנקפורט דאודר תקכ"ב], אך פסלות וטעו' רבות נפלו בראשוני'... וגם ראיתי שהמפרש הוסיף כהיום כהנה וכהנה... שציינתי בין ב חצי לבנה". דף [4-3]: הקדמה, מאת משה מענדעלסזאהן, בעילום שמו. כותב בין השאר: "הספר... כבר נדפס עם שני פרושי'... אבל המפרשי' ההם לא השיגו את דברי הרב ז"ל כלל, וכמעט שלא הי' להם שום ידיעה במלאכת ההגיון. ובשנת תקכ"ב הפציר בי... ר' שמשון הקלירי לחבר פרוש קצר... והוא הדפיסו... ואולם נפלו בדפוס ההוא טעיות רבות לאין מספר. וגם הי' הפרוש ההוא בלתי מספיק... לכן הרחבתי את הבאור".

Bibliography:

EJ; JE; CD-NLI 0150031