Abraham, Patriarch, attrib. Sefer Yetzirah [Jetzirah, Yet...

      Johann Stephan Rittangel, Latin trans. & comm. with annotations erroneously ascribed to Abraham ben David of Posquieres; but the real annotator is Josef ben Shalom ha-Ashkenazi. Amsterdam: Johannes & Joducus Janssonius, 1642. 4to. *4, A-2C4, 1, errata. [8],208, [2]p. Contemp. vellum over boards, lightly soiled, stamp of "Gesselschaft Fuer Juedische Vollk Kunde, Hamburg" on t.p., old owner's signature on t.p., minor pinworm holes in bottom margin, repaired tear upper outer corner on 2C4, minor edge darkening, a very pleasing copy. Printer's device on t.p., t.p. in red and black, 2 full-page engravings of sephirot ; text in Hebrew and Latin types in columns. First Rittangel Edition. "The history of the study of the "Sefer Yetzirah" is one of the most interesting in the records of Jewish literature. With the exception of the Bible, scarcely any other book has been the subject of so much annotation. Aristotelians, Neoplatonists, Talmudists, and cabalists have used the book as a source, or at least thought they did so. Two points must be taken into consideration in judging the importance of the work: the influence which it exerted on the development of Jewish philosophy, especially on its mystic side, and the reputation which it enjoyed for more than a thousand years in most Jewish circles... a thaumaturgical work that was popular in the Talmudic period. " [EJ]"... small in size but enormous in influence, the sefer Yetzirah ('Book of Creation), the earliest extant Hebrew text of systematic, speculative thought. Its brevity -- less than 2,000 words altogether even in its longer version-- allied to its obscure and at the same time laconic and enigmatic style, as well as its terminology, have no parallel in other works on related subjects... The central subject of Sefer Yetzirah is a compact discourse on cosmology and cosmogony... outstanding for its clearly mystical character." [Scholem, Kabbalah, 1974.]Rittangel (606?-1652) was professor-extraordinary of Oriental languages in the University of Konigsburg.He changed his religious affiliation several times and there is some question if he was an apostate Jew. His translation of the Sepher Yetzirah is the first bi-lingual edition of the work. The commentary ascribed to RABaD of Posquieres was known to have been by another author even in the sixteenth century as noted by Rabbi Hayim Vital. Latter research has ascribed it to Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi, a 14th century rabbi in Barcelona. [See: Gershom Scholem, Major Trends, 407, n137.]This was the edition used by 19th century students of the kabbalah. STCN 164204 [not reporting errata leaf]. Scholem, Bibl. Kabbalistica, 943. Fuks, Amsterdam, 196 [listing errata leaf.] Vinograd, Amsterdam, 58. Steinschneider 3563. Caillet 9454.