Sefer Beit Moed , fifty sermons for Shabbats, annual festivals and various other occasions by Rabbi Menachem Rabbah of Padua. Venice, 1605. First edition. Copy previously owned by the Admo”r Rabbi Menachem Nachum Berenyu of Sadigura with his signature. The numerous Rebbe’s owner’s notations, as well as the special binding, attest to the great importance of this sefer in the eyes of the Rebbe.
The Admo”r Rabbi Menachem Nachum Dov of Sadigura’s (early) signature is featured in red ink on the leaf preceding the title page: “This sefer belongs to Nachum Dovber Friedman.” The title page also features two different owner’s stamps of the Rebbe’s, a stamp with his name with a picture of a lion, and his well-known kinyan kaspi stamp, used to indicate the sefarim he bought with his own funds for the purpose of his own study (to differentiate them from those donated to the Rebbe’s massive library). There is also the Rebbe’s red sticker with his name printed in gold.
The author was an Italian sage who passed away before his sefer was printed. His son, Rabbi Elyah Rabbah, prepared the book for print, and according to his father’s last will and testament, he took counsel with the leader of the Diaspora, Rabbi Menachem Azaryah of Pano regarding what to print, and published it according to his counsel. A poem praising the sefer by Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib of Modena was printed on the last leaf, along with an approbation from Venice rabbis.
The sefer is bound in a magnificent and impressive antique binding made of marbleized paper with imprints in the parchment spine from the period right after the printing.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of the Admo”r Rabbi Menachem Nachum Dov of Sadigura .
[1], 2-231, [1] leaf. 19 cm.
Fine condition. Aging stains. Minimal worming perforations, most of which have been restored. Restored tears in the white margins of the title page, far from the text. Very beautiful antique marbleized paper binding with gilt imprints, integrated by an artist with the original binding’s spine.
For an extensive discussion of the the Admo”r’s library, refer to: Kovetz Mevinei Amudi – Boyan , the article by Rabbi Zusha Dinkles: ‘Skirah Historit Mekifah al Beit Akad Sefarim shel Hrh”k Rabi Nachum Berenyu ztzk”kl.’