Chok LeYisroel, with a Yiddish translation by Rabbi Yisroel Halevi landau the son of the Nodah BiYehuda. Prague ...

Chok LeYisroel, with a Yiddish translation by Rabbi Yisroel Halevi landau the son of the Nodah BiYehuda. Prague 1798. Single edition.

Sefer Chok L’Yisroel - A German Translation of Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos, Prague 1798. First Edition.

Rabbi Landau’s idea was to translate the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos into Judeo-German so that laymen and children could properly understand it.

This sefer was published anonymously, yet the author still alluded to his identity in the title page with the first and last letters of his name Y-L H-Y L-A [Harav Yisrael Halevi Landau]. It includes letters of approbation by the great Rabbanim of Prague and the author’s brother Harav Shmuel Halevi Landau.

This work was printed with approbations of the Noda BiYehudah’s foremost disciples. Interestingly, in his approbation, Rabbi Michael Bacharach notes that the main reason why Rabbi Landau published this work was because he was pained by the fact many weren’t studying Torah properly and instead focusing their interests in various books and German literature. By publishing this work in German, it would appeal to those already reading German literature to instead engage in Torah study.

A very interesting and rare work. This is perhaps the very first Sefer translated into a foreign language endorsed by leading Torah scholars. Hence the reason for anonymity.

23.3 Cm, Thick good quality paper.

Good condition, stains, some pages partly detached from binding, later binding.