Nishmat Chaim.

£180,000 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books · No longer available

extremely scarce copy with personal inscription by Menasseh Ben Israel Menasseh Ben Yossef Ben Israel (1604-1657) was a Portuguese Sephardi rabbi, kabbalist, writer, diplomat, printer, publisher, teacher of the philosopher Baruch Spinoza and founder of the first Hebrew printing press in Amsterdam in 1626. This book is Ben Israel's only publication in Hebrew, his other books were published in Spanish and Latin. Menasseh Ben Israel is an especially significant figure to British Jewry as he was the central advocate who successfully petitioned Oliver Cromwell to readmit Jews to England in the mid-1650s, overturning the 1290 expulsion. Through his negotiations and writings, he enabled the establishment of the first open Jewish community and synagogue in London. Despite his return to Holland at the end of his, his efforts initiated the return of Jews to England, for which he is remembered as the champion of British Jewish settlement. Presumably, Menasseh Ben Israel gifted the book to his friend, an important Ashkenazi Rabbi, Moshe Shimshon Bacharach. Bacharach mentions Menasseh Ben Israel sever times in his responsa book 'Chavot Yair'. Both Moshe Shimashon and his son, Yair Chaim, read the book and left many marginal notes, some of them appear to be critical of the text. Yair Chaim Bachrach was a Rabbi of the town of Worms and, most likely, due to financial need ended up selling the book to Rabbi Moshe Katz Naral, who was a doctor and the Rabbi of Metz and came from an affluent fam

• Binding: Hardcover

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