Obj. ID: 35974
Jewish printed books Eliyah Rabah by Eliyah Spira, Sulzbach, 1757
This text was prepared by William Gross:
This marvelous large woodcut title page is filled with graphic images. It was used by printers in both Fuerth and Sulzbach and is known as one the more attractive examples of Jewish title pages. This particular copy has very large margins and makes an imposing impression.
Elijah Spira (1660–1712) (alternatively, "Shapira" or "Shapiro", Hebrew: אליהו שפירא) was son of Benjamin Wolf Spira. He was a brother-in-law of Yaakov Reischer, and a student of Avraham Gombiner.
He was rabbi at Tiktin, and afterward preacher and director of a large Talmudic academy in his hometown of Prague. He published Eliyahu Zuṭa, a commentary on that part of Mordecai Yoffe's Levush relating to the Shulhan Aruk, Oraḥ Ḥayyim (Prague, 1689, 1701). He died at Prague April 14, 1712.
His valuable work Eliyahu Rabbah (Sulzbach, 1757), containing discussions on the Oraḥ Ḥayyim, was printed posthumously by his son, whose name is not given. Shishah Shiṭṭot, novellæ on six Talmudic tractates, were published by his grandson Elijah ben Wolf Spira (Fürth, 1768). His manuscript works, including commentaries on the Bible and Talmud, as well as sermons, responsa, etc., were destroyed by fire in 1754.