Amsterdam: Benveniste Talmud

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chapter 2 Amsterdam: Benveniste Talmud

Printing the Talmud in Amsterdam began with Immanuel Conti in Cremona and Benveniste in Amsterdam.”5 As we (Imanoel) Benveniste. That Talmud, not always favor- shall see, Benveniste acquired new (additional) fonts in ably received, is unusual due to its size. It is noteworthy Amsterdam. due to the inclusion of Avodah Zarah, omitted due to The Benveniste press was active from about 1640 to Church censorship from several previous editions, and 1659, publishing, according to the enumeration of Fuks when printed, often lacking a title page. Little is known and Fuks-Mansfeld, forty-eight Hebrew, and six non- of Benveniste’s antecedents. His family is believed to be Hebrew, titles. Herbert C. Zafren’s enumeration, based on among the Jewish refugees from Spain or Portugal and Moses Marx’s unpublished bibliographies, has a total of that he was descended from the illustrious Sephardic fam- eighty-eight titles. The significant variance between the ily of that name.1 Benveniste came to Amsterdam by way numbers reported by Fuks and Fuks-Mansfeld and Zafren of Venice, which explains why he signed his name in the is not due to unreported titles by the former but rather Italian form, Imanoel Benveniste. He never mentions his due to Marx counting Benveniste’s Talmudic treatises as father’s name. From this, Fuks and Fuks-Mansfeld surmise individual titles.6 Benveniste began printing the Later that Benveniste’s parents were still alive, remained on the Prophets (1641–1642) with the commentary of Don Isaac Iberian peninsula, and had not returned to Judaism; and Abarbanel, followed by Midrash Rabbah with the com- therefore, it was not practical to use his father’s name.2 mentary Matnot Kehunah by R. Issacher Ber ben Naphtali Benveniste relocated to Amsterdam because, by the Berman of Szcebreszyn, and a Shulhan Arukh (1642). The mid-seventeenth century, that city offered more opportu- titles that Benveniste published encompass the major nities for the distribution of Hebrew books than any city works of Judaism, including the Pentateuch and Prophets, in Italy.3 In Amsterdam, Benveniste took up residence in prayer books, all four parts of the Shulhan Arukh (begin- Vlooienburg, an area where many Sephardic Jews resided. ning in 1642), Hilkhot Rav Alfas (1643), mishnayot with the In 1640 he purchased a house in the Lange Houstraat for commentary Kaf Nahat (1643) by R. Isaac ben Solomon f 1,475, to be completely paid for within two years. The Gabbai (1620–74), a complete Talmud (1644–1647), Shenei house, as described in the contract, is such that a print- Luhot ha-Brit (1648–1649) by R. Isaiah Horowitz (ha-Shelah shop could be established on the premises.4 It appears ha-Kadosh, c. 1565–1630), and a variety of smaller works.7 that Benveniste brought typographical equipment with Benveniste’s title pages can be distinguished by his him, including the “fine and clear fonts” employed by escutcheon, an upright lion facing inward toward a tower; Jacob Marcaria in Riva di Trento in the sixteenth century. a star is above the lion and the tower. The lion is on the Joshua Bloch noted that the Riva di Trento type faces viewer’s right, the tower on the left. Fuks and Fuks-Man- were employed in other cities: “their familiar faces appear sfeld suggest that Benveniste’s ensign was an ancestral again in publications issued from the press of Vincento insignia, but acknowledge that they are unable to trace its origins.8 At least six forms of Benveniste’s device 1 The Benveniste family, distinguished and widespread in Spain and have been identified. In all cases, excepting his Talmu- Provence, is mentioned as early as 1079 in documents from Barce- dic treatises, this insignia is set in a crest at the apex of lona. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, the family was widely dispersed, primarily throughout the Ottoman Empire an architectural frame about the text of the title page. where many eminent rabbis were named Benveniste (s. v. “Ben- veniste,” EJ). Among those claiming descent from the Benveniste 5 J. Bloch, “Hebrew Printing in Riva di Trento,” Hebrew Printing and family are the Epstein family of Lithuania, whose members include Bibliography (New York, 1976), 109. R. Jehiel Michal ben Aaron Isaac ha-Levi Epstein (1829–1908; Arukh 6 Fuks and Fuks-Mansfeld, Hebrew Typography, vol. 1, 155–84; ha-Shulhan) and his son R. Baruch ha-Levi Epstein (1860–1942; Torah Herbert C. Zafren, “Amsterdam: Center of Hebrew Printing in the Temimah). Among the latter’s other works is Mekor Barukh (Vilna, Seventeenth Century,” Jewish Book Annual 35 (1977–78): 51. 1928), in which he notes on the title page that he is descended from 7 For a description of several of these titles and other works printed a branch of the Sephardic family Benveniste. I thank Eli Genauer for by Benveniste, see Heller, Seventeenth Century Hebrew Book. bringing this to my attention. 8 L. Fuks and R. G. Fuks-Mansfeld, Hebrew Typography in the North- 2 Fuks and Fuks-Mansfeld, Hebrew Typography, vol. 1, 146–48. ern Netherlands 1585–1815, vol. 2 (Leiden, 1987), 146–47. As noted 3 A. M. Habermann, The History of the Hebrew Book: From Marks to earlier in the Introduction in Lehmann-Haupt’s An Introduction to Letters; from Scroll to Book [Hebrew] (Jerusalem, 1968), 155. the Woodcut of the Seventeenth Century, Christoffel (Cornelis) van 4 Fuks and Fuks-Mansfeld, Hebrew Typography, vol. 1, 146. Sichem’s woodcuts for Hebrew books are not noted.

In many of the non-Talmudic works, the frame is com- Printing began on 18 Sivan 5404 (Wednesday, June prised of ten oval and four bullet-shaped segments. The 12, 1644) with both Berakhot and Rosh Ha-Shanah, fol- crest is simpler than in the Talmudic treatises and a point lowed in 1645 by Shabbat, Pesahim, Betzah, Hagigah, rises from the top of the crest. At the lower right-hand Mo’ed Katan, Yoma, Ta’anit, Shekalim, Megillah, Bava corner of the frame of all the non-Talmudic works are the Kamma, Bava Metzia, Bava Batra, Avodah Zarah, Sanhe- initials “CVS,” representing the artist who prepared the drin, Makkot, and Shevu’ot; in 1646, by Eruvin, Sukkah, and woodcut, Christoffel (Cornelis) van Sichem. On the title Seder Zera’im; and in 1647, by Yevamot, Ketubbot, Kiddu- pages of the Benveniste tractates, his pressmark appears shin, Gittin, Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah, Horayot, Eduyyot, Avot, at the bottom of the page in an ornamental shield, with a massekhtot ketannot (minor tractates), Zevahim, Mena- helmet in the crest.9 Benveniste’s device appears on almost hot, Bekhorot, Hullin, Arakhin, Me’ilah, Keritot, Temurah, all of his imprints; however, at least one exception exists, Niddah, and Seder Tohorot.10 the mishnayot with the commentary Kaf Nahat (1643). The text of the title page is based on the Cracow edition We are primarily interested in Benveniste’s Talmud. His (1602–05), which in turn is copied from the Giustiniani Talmud, printed from 1644 to 1647, is in a smaller quarto edition (Venice, 1546–51). Tractate names are given in format (c. 260 × 195 cm.) than the usual large folio edi- historiated letters. The title page (Figure 2.3) states (trans- tions. Tractates are not dated with unique chronograms, lation mine): but rather the date is represented with a separate biblical verse for each year of printing, from 1644 to 1646, and with Tractate … with the commentaries of Rashi, Tosafot, a line from the prayer book for the final year, 1647. The Piskei Tosafot, Rabbenu Asher, and Maimonides’s word or letters expressing the date are printed in enlarged commentary on mishnayot. As printed in the great city Venice at the קדש letters. The verses are: “Israel is the Lord’s hallowed ,Giustiniani press with attractive letters, ink, paper (1645 = 405) אתה portion” (Jeremiah 2:3), “You (1644 = 404) will arise and show compassion to Zion” (Psalms 102:14), lacking nothing, correct in form and measure, page .by page exact, with many excellent characteristics = 406) בקדש the ways of my God, my King, in holiness“ -One of the [edition’s] virtues is that it was ed (1647 = 407) אות Psalms 68:25), and “Show us a sign) ”(1646 for good and gather our dispersed” (Tahnun). ited from books of the Talmud corrected from

figure 2.1 figure 2.2

9 Concerning the widespread use of this popular pressmark, see Heller, “The Printer’s Mark of Immanuel Benveniste,” 3–20, reprinted in Studies, 18–32. 10 Rabbinovicz, Ma’amar al Hadpasat ha-Talmud, 94.