"Open the gates and the righteous nation shall enter", Sefer Shaarei Dura, halachic rulings on the laws of kashrut, by Rabbi Yitzchak HaLevi of Dura (Düren), with the commentary and glosses of Rabbi Shlomo Luria (the Maharshal).
Basel: Konrad Waldkirch, [1599]. First edition of the commentary and glosses of the Maharshal ("Mechonot" edition).
Signature on page 2: " Lashem Haaretz Umloeu Yaakov Koppel Schonungen, Dayan of the District of Würzburg",
The Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Koppel son of R. Chaim of Schonungen, served from 1768 as Dayan of the District of Würzburg, in Heitzfeld (Heidingsfeld) alongside Rabbi Avraham Bing. He died in 1816.
99 [i.e. 98] leaves. 19.7 Cm.
Good Condition, browning & stains, tittle page with small tears & 3 tiny wormholes in the margin, elegant new brown leather binding.
Sefer Shaarei Dura, composed in the 13th century, is one of the most important works on the laws of Kashrut, and is quoted extensively by both the Beit Yosef and the Rama. Until the printing of the Shulchan Aruch, Shaarei Dura was the primary Ashkenazic work on the laws of Kashrut.
This is the sixth edition of this work (first printed in Krakow, 1534). Since each edition of Shaarei Dura was printed based on a different manuscript, all the editions published in the 16th century are in effect first editions. This is also the first edition of the commentary and glosses of the Maharshal.
The publisher of this edition was the renowned kabbalist, Rabbi Eliyahu Loans Rabbi of Worms (1564-1631), leading rabbi and posek in his generation. He was a close disciple of the Maharal of Prague, and colleague of the Tosafot Yom Tov. Born in Frankfurt to Rabbi Moshe (son of R. Joselmann, renowned leader and advocate of German Jewry - from the Luria family, resulting in the family name Loans = Luria Ashkenazi. In his writings, R. Eliyahu Loans refers to the Maharshal and the Arizal as his relatives). During 1599-1600, when in exile in Basel, he published several Sefarim. He later served as rabbi of Hanau, Fulda, Friedberg, Mainz and Worms. He was renowned worldwide as Reb Eliyahu Baal Shem, for his engagement in Kabbalah and in writing amulets based on Practical Kabbalah. He was one of the teachers of Reb Yoel Baal Shem of Zamość, a foremost hidden Tzaddik and Kabbalist, who was the teacher of the teacher of Reb Yisrael Baal Shem Tov of Mezhibuzh, founder of Chassidism.
The printer writes in the introduction that as the owners of the printing press are not Jewish, they print on Shabbat as well, and then printing errors occur and there is no one to correct them.
Share this lot:
Lot #21