Handwritten volume with part of the renowned work Sha’arei Teshuvah by Rabbi Yonah of Girondi, one of the prominent Rishonim . Clear Sephardic script. [Spain, c. 15th century. ]
Sefer Sha’arei Teshuvah is one of the most important works of mussar. Since it was first printed in 1505, it has been reprinted close to a hundred times!!
The Chid”a writes about this work: “… gates designated to awaken the soul to fear of Heaven. His sacred words help very much to break a heart of stone … Fortunate is he who can sit diligently at these gates on a daily basis …” The Chafetz Chaim said once in the name of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin that “This work of mussar is accessible to everyone, and it is appropriate for every Jew during all times and all eras until the coming of the righteous redeemer.”
Leaves [1-10] of this manuscript appear in the Venice 1544 edition from page 14a to page 19b. Leaves [11-22] appear in the Venice edition from page 26a through 32a. (The earlier editions were printed without pagination.)
[22] leaf. 16.5 cm. Wide margins. Most of the leaves have ink smudges in several lines, some with lacks in the text. Worming perforations, some with paper completions. The book has undergone artistic restoration. It is very rare to find a useful book from a very early period in such good condition.