Post-Incunabula: Extremely Rare! Tractate Chulin - First Edition of the Bomberg Press, Venice 1521 Pedigreed Copy

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Tractate Chulin with Rashi’s commentary, Tosfot, Piskei Tosfot and a commentary on the Mishnayot by Rabbeinu Asher, printed as part of the famed, first edition of the entire Shas "by Daniel Bomberg… in Venice 1521". Originally, 179, [1] leaves. From leaf 142 and onward, Piskei Tisfot and a commentary on the Mishnayot and Rabbeinu Asher, and on the last leaf [here missing and completed with a photocopy]: "These are the beginning of the leaves of tractate Nidah which in Italian are called Registerio" (that is, a list of the Kuntresim and beginning of the sheets of each Kuntres). The Registerio appears in only some of the tractates. In the National Library the book, of course, appears with the other volumes of the Shas in the Rare Book Collection. 34X24 cm. Impressive, modern leather binding. Incomplete copy, the missing leaves completed with a photocopy on recycled paper. The leaves that were completed: the title page, leaves 2-3, 6, 8, 17, 24, 41, 74-81, 114 and the last leaf. A total of 18 leaves were completed with a photocopy true to the original. Restorations to the edges of the leaves, restored tears some of them affecting the text. Small handwritten corrections on the margins in several places.

Tractate Chulin is considered one of the rarest tractates of this edition due to it being a Yeshiva one.

This edition from the early days of printing is considered a cornerstone of the format of the leaf and the pagination. The version of the Gemore in most of the following editions was based on this one since it was almost completely free from the erasures of the censor. In addition,
it contains, for the first time, several of the fundamental works on the Shas: Rabbeinu Asher (Chidushei HaRosh, a basic work that is considered one of the foundations of halachic Psikah) and Piskei Tosafot.

"This Talmud is rare in its beauty, the fine paper and black fonts and the sheets between Rashi and the Tosfot are wide. All following editions did not compare to its beauty" (Rabbi Raphaell Natan Note Rabinowitz, author of Dikdukei Sofrim in his article on the printing of the Talmud) Stefansky Sifrei Yesod no. 41.

A Sephardic ownership signature: "
שלמה בכור חוצין" (slightly trimmed), apparently referring to Rabbi Shlomo Bechor Chutzin (1843-1893) one of the rabbis of Baghdad, a disciple of Rabbi Abdalla [Ovadya] Somech. Approbated the scholarly work Sidrei Taharot by the Admor of Radzin alongside his above Rav. He owned an important printery in Baghdad.

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