Obj. ID: 38078
Printed Books Imrei lev by Marco Tedeshi, Asti, 1852
This text was prepared by William Gross:
2 illustrations, in Italian
Imrei Lev - Preghiere D’un Cuore Israelita [festival prayers] Italian text only, with occasional Hebrew. Prepared by Marco Tedeschi. Four parts in one. Lithographed title printed in blue. Two fine lithographed plates by A. Hoenig. pp. (6), 359. Lightly browned. Roan-backed salmon boards with gilt tooling, extremities worn. 8vo. Asti (Piedmont), Fratelli Paglieri, 1852.
Two expressive plates depict a synagogue congregation at prayer and a death-bed scene. The deathbed scene depicts family members with prayer books in their hands- thus depicting the tradition requiring those in the presence of the dying to recite a selection of Psalms and related prayers. A gentleman points heavenward, seemingly encouraging the dying man to recite the confession.
The introduction specifies that the prayer book was primarily intended for women, both for their use and to instruct their children. An entire section is devoted to prayers relating to death and mourning and concludes with meditations on the nature of the soul and immortality.
See: From This World to the Next - Jewish Approaches to Illness, Death and the Afterlife, Catalogue of The Jewish Theological Seminary Library (1999) p. 9 no. 1 (illus).
