JUDAISM Judaica/Jewish/Hebrew/Kabbalah/Torah 1601 RARE

EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE, ORIGINAL 1601 FIRST EDITION OF ALSHICH'S COMMENTARY ON THE SCRIPTURES. This early 17th century treatise was written by Moshe Alshich and printed at Venice, Italy. Author was a celebrated Sefed Rabbi whose fame spread due to his commanding eloquence as a preacher. Alshich became the most popular preacher of his time. His esteemed commentaries on the Bible and the Torah were based on his popular sermons, and most were published posthumously. Through his allegorical method of interpretation and meticulous attention to detail, Alshich strikes an uncommon balance the rational and mystical approach. We could not locate another available copy. 
 
"...Rabbi Moshe [Alshich] is considered one of the great Kabbalists...An eloquent speaker, his sermons drew large and enthusiastic crowds...Although he follows mainly a homiletic approach, extracting from text lessons on ethics, morality, and piety, many of his commentaries are based on Kabbalistic themes. Although written in a very lucid style, the sheer length of his comments make them inaccessible to the average person. Rabbis find his work a rich source of material for their sermons." [Kabbalah, Avraham Yaakov Finkel].
 
"R' Moshe [Alshich] was a charismatic speaker and his sermons on the weekly Torah portion attracted the greatest sages of Safed alongside the laymen. R' Yosef Karo attended regularly, as did R' Chaim Vital and the Arizal...R' Moshe, although a famed orator, spent the entire week studying halacha by day and Talmud by night. Only on Friday would he begin preparing his Shabbos sermon." [Safed: The Mystical City, Dovid Rossoff].
 
"The AlShech as [Moshe Alshich] is usually called, is best known as the author of Torat Moshe, which is considered to be one of the most important homiletic commentaries ever written on the Bible. A native of Andrianople, he studied there under Rabbi Joseph Caro, and later in Salonica, under Joseph Taitatzak." [Meditation and the Kabbalah, Aryen Kaplan].
 
Rabbi Moshe Alshich [or Alshech] (1508 - 1593), known as the "Alshich Hakadosh" ["the Holy"], was a prominent Jewish rabbi and biblical commentator in the latter part of the 16th century. He was born in Turkey and later moved to Safed where he became a student of Rabbi Joseph Caro. His own students included Rabbi Hayim Vital and Rabbi Yom Tov Tzahalon. "The Alshich" as to be know as, was one of only a few rabbis to be granted the title "Hakadosh" throughout Jewish history. Alongside with Rabbi Moshe Alshich, the Shelah, the Arizal and the Or Hahaim also received this title, all of them distinctive personalities in their times. This indicates the great reverence people had for the Alshich, who lived in Safed, a city that was home to many other outstanding rabbis. His homiletical commentaries on the Torah and the Prophets enjoy great popularity and are still studied today, largely because of their powerful influence as practical exhortations to virtuous life.

The Alshich was a disciple of Rabbi Joseph Caro, author of the "Shulhan Aruch"; and his own disciples included the Kabbalist Rabbi Hayim Vital. Although Alshech belonged to the circle of the Kabbalists who lived at Safed, his works very rarely betray any traces of the Kabbalah. He is celebrated as a teacher, preacher, and casuist. Little is known of his life, and in his works he avoids mention of himself, telling only of his course of study; thus in the preface to his commentary on the Pentateuch he says: "I never aimed at things too high or beyond me. From my earliest days the study of the Talmud was my chief occupation, and I assiduously attended the yeshivah [college] where I made myself familiar with the discussions of Abaye and Raba. The night I devoted to research and the day to Halakha. In the morning I read the Talmud and in the afternoon the Posekim [casuists]. Only on Fridays could I find time for the reading of Scripture and Midrash in preparation for my lectures on the Sidra of the week and similar topics, which I delivered every Sabbath before large audiences, eager to listen to my instruction."

His lectures were later published as "Commentaries" [perushim] on the books of the Holy Scriptures, and Alshech gives a remarkable reason for their publication: "Many of those who had listened to my lectures repeated them partly or wholly in their own names. These offenses will be prevented by the publication of my own work". These lectures, though somewhat lengthy, were not tedious to his audience. The author repeatedly declares that in their printed form [as "Commentaries"] he greatly curtailed them by omitting everything which was not absolutely necessary, or which he had already mentioned in another place.

Like Abravanel and some other commentators, Alshech headed each section of his comments with a number of questions which he anticipated on the part of the reader; he then proceeded to give a summary of his view, and concluded with answering all the questions seriatim. His Commentaries abound in references to Talmud, Midras and Zohar, but contain scant references to other commentaries, such as the works of Abravanel, R. Levi ben Gershon or Maimonides. His explanations are all of a homiletical character; his sole object being to find in each sentence or in each word of the Scriptures a moral lesson, a support for trust in God, encouragement to patient endurance, and a proof of the vanity of all earthly goods as compared with the everlasting bliss to be acquired in the future life.

He frequently and earnestly appeals to his brethren, exhorting them to repent, and to abandon, or at least restrict, the pursuit of all worldly pleasures, and thus accelerate the approach of the Messianic era. Alshech possessed an easy and fluent style; his expositions are mostly of an allegorical character, but very rarely approach mysticism. In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, he calls "peshat" [literal explanation] and "sod" [mystical interpretation] the two opposite extremes, while he declares his own method of introducing allegorical exposition to be the safe mean between these extremes.

Condition: Rare book remains in good condition [see images]. Volume attractively bound in three-quarter leather with gilt spine label; light to moderate cover wear, grained vellum endpapers, scattered light staining, couple small holes, a few page repairs, some closely cropped edges, handwritten inscription to rear endpaper, etc, generally clean internally. All in all, this desirable treatise remains very presentable. Text in Hebrew; reads in traditional format [from back to front and right to left]. Volume contains 42 leaves [i.e., 84 pages] and measures approx 7.5" tall x 5.5" wide x .38 thick. Quite a find and a very worthy acquisition indeed.

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