Obj. ID: 38811
Jewish printed books  Naftoli Elohim Naftali by Naftali Hertz ben Eliezer Treves, Cracow, 1593

This text was prepared by William Gross:

A diagram of the Sephirot, as used in the previous year in the book "Pardess Rimmonim" is printed on the very first page. These are the first printed images of the Sephirot in Hebrew printing. The text is an index and supercommentary on the Be'ur al ha-Torah of R. Bahya b. Asher.
R. Naphtali Hertz Treves (Drifzan, c. 1465-1537) was a scion of the distinguished family of that name. Branches of the family spread through the different countries of Europe from the 14th to the 20th centuries. From the original family there afterward branched off the Trefouse, Dreyfuss, and Tribas families. R. Naphtali served as cantor in Frankfort on the Main and was renowned as "the great kabbalist" - such was his mastery of kabbalistic literature. He was also well regarded for his halakhic scholarship.
The printer Isaac Prostitz, born in Prossnitz, Moravia, was sent at an early age to Italy by his father to learn the printing trade, accomplished at the Cavalli and Gryphios presses. When the latter press closed in 1568, Prostitz acquired their typographical equipment, including the letters, ornaments, and frames, and brought them to Cracow, where he was joined by the famous proofreader R. Samuel Boehm. Prostitz petitioned King Sigismund II Augustus on 15 October 1567 for the privilege of establishing a Hebrew press, which was granted to him and "his seed after him" to print the Talmud and other Hebrew books for a period of fifty years. Prostitz would, until his death in 1611, print more than 200 titles. The press was continued by his sons, Aaron and Issachar, after his death, and their sons after them.