Obj. ID: 38647
Jewish printed books  Drashot ha-Torah by Shem Tov ben Yosef ibn Shem Tov, Padua, 1567

This text was prepared by William Gross:

Padua is one of four cities in which this woodcut title page frame was used (the other three are Cremona, Venice and Cracow). It is a fine example of the traveling of wood blocks for printing from one city to another. This example also carries a censor's signature on the last page of the book. The beautiful arch image is topped by a picture of the Akedah. For other examples in the GFC, see B.1174 (Cremona, 1557), and B.1817 Venice, 1565).
This book of homilies on the Torah and repentance was written by R. Shem Tov ben Yosef ibn Shem Tov (15th C), a Spanish kabbalist, and fierce opponent of rationalisitc philosophy. He was the grandson of the kabbalist Shem Tov ibn Shem and son of Joseph ibn Shem Tov. This is the third edition of his drashot, the first two having been printed in Salonika (1525) and Venice (1547).This version is printed according to the Venice edition, yet in square rather than rabbinic letters.
This volume represents the second venture into the Hebrew market of Lorenzo Pasquato, an experienced printer of Latin and Italian books, whose Hebrew works were published by R. Samuel Boehm. Pasquato (and R. Boehm) issued only one other Hebrew book, Derech Emunah (1562, see GFC B.1840). These are the only Hebrew books issued in Padua during the 16th century, despite the city’s fame as a seat of rabbinic learning and the presence of Jews from across Europe in its medical faculty.