Michna - Mischnajoth - 1815

MISHNAYOT — Seder Toharot — with comments by Rabbeinu Ovadia de Bertinoro and Tosafot Yom Tov — Anton Schmid, Vienna, 1815

Identification bibliographique

Mishnayot, Seder Toharot (Order of Purities), the sixth and last order of the Mishna, with the classic commentaries of Rabbeinu Ovadia de Bertinoro (Bartenura, 14th–15th c.) and the Tosafot Yom Tov of Rabbi Yom Tov Lipmann Heller (1578–1654), to which are added Tosafot Hadashim (new commentaries) by the Gaon R. Shimshon of Metz and other authorities, as well as the Tosafot Rishon LeTzion. Printed by Anton Schmid, Imperial and Royal Privileged Printer, German and Oriental bookbinder in Lower Austria (k. k. privil. und N.Ö. Landschafts-deutsch- und orientalischem Buchdrucker), Vienna, 1815. Volume alone (volume VI of a complete edition of Mishnayot in several volumes, as indicated by the note Tom. VI visible in the text). Traditional three-column layout: central Mishnaic text in larger square type, surrounded by the commentaries in Rashi script and semi-cursive. Red rules in the margin on some leaves. Presence of wood-engraved geometric diagrams illustrating halakhic discussions on ritual measures and volumes (tractate Kelim, Ohalot).

Content

The Seder Toharot is the sixth order of the Mishna, devoted to laws of ritual purity and impurity (tahara and tum’a). It comprises twelve tractates, including Kelim (utensils), Ohalot (tents, impurity through contact with the dead), Nega’im (ritual leprosy), Parah (red heifer), Toharot, Mikvaot (ritual baths), Nidda, Makshirin, Zavim, Tevul Yom, Yadaim and Uktzin. This volume contains, in addition to the Mishnaic text and the two principal commentaries, Tosafot Hadashim providing analyses and connections with Talmudic sources and poskim, as well as the Tosafot Rishon LeTzion. Preliminary pages include a list of rabbinic authorities to consult and a table of contents for the Seder. Marginal notes in Ashkenazic cursive handwriting are present in the volume.

Provenance

The volume bears several inscriptions in Ashkenazic cursive Hebrew, including a repeated ex-libris on the fly leaf and title page: Shlomo ben Moshe Wohl (שלמה בן משה וואהל), a traditional indication of ownership in Hebrew books. The Wohl/Wahl surname is borne by a rabbinical family from Central Europe.

Binding

Old brown calf over pasteboard boards, back with raised bands and decorative compartments, traces of gilding on the bands. Red edges partially preserved.

State

The binding shows pronounced, old wear: the back cover is significantly damaged with substantial leather loss on several compartments, headcaps torn, corners worn and damaged, joints weakened. The boards retain their leather but with numerous scuffs, old mold, and overall discoloration. The interior is in better shape: thick, sturdy paper, legible text in full, sporadic foxing, a few leaves creased or slightly torn at the margins without affecting the text, marginal notes in brown ink well preserved. The photographs serve as a description of the state and are an integral part of it.

Interest

The Anton Schmid printing house in Vienna was one of the few establishments authorized to print Hebrew books in the Austrian Empire in the early 19th century, and its Mishnah editions are among the reference productions of that period. The Seder Toharot is the rarest volume among Mishnah editions, since it was often less consulted than the orders of daily practical application and thus produced in smaller numbers. The presence of the manuscript ex-libris Shlomo ben Moshe Wohl and marginal scholarly notes adds a documentary provenance dimension to this copy. This volume will interest collectors of early Hebrew books, specialized Judaic studies libraries, and researchers in the history of the Jewish book in Central Europe in the 19th century.