Sefer HaZihronot – Prague 1648

Sefer HaZihronot – Prague 1648
Sefer HaZihronot, by Rabbi Samuel Abuhav [Prague, c. 1648].
The book was printed anonymously, without the place and year printed, and mainly deals with words of reproof and exhortation to keep the Mitzvot about which the people are negligent.
The author, Rabbi Samuel Abuhav (1610-1694) one of the leaders in his generation, Rabbi of Verona and one of the sages of Venice, author of the responsa book “Devar Shemuel”. In this work he joins the argument about “Stam Yenam” in Italy, following the custom, widely held there, to be lenient in this prohibition, devoting a large part of the book to point out the seriousness of the matter. He sent the book to be printed in Prague and never used the excellent Italian printers, to keep his authorship secret. The “Hida” (“Shem Gedolim”, section “Marechet Seforim”) writes “It is not recorded in the book who wrote it…and we know that Rabbi Abuhav wrote it, a leading rabbi in Venice, and in his piety he did not mention his name and to hide this he used black paper and the printing is not good". Interestingly, unlike the words of the Hida the copy here is printed on quite good paper. [For the attribution of this work to Rabbi Samuel Abuhav and a description of him see Meir Benayahu: “Dor Ehad Ba’Aretz, Jerusalem 1988, pages 27-49].
Records of owners and stamps: “Reuben David Morgenstern”, “I gained from the bequest of Rabbi Israel Mordechai… Reuben David Hashahar [= Morgenstern]”, “Isaac Rubinstein".
[4], 86 leaves. 19 cm. Good condition, stains and writing in ink. Fine new leather binding.