MAIMONIDES’ SON RESPONDS TO HIS FATHER’S CRITICS

BEN MAIMON, Abraham ben Moses. Sefer Birkhat Abraham. Paris: E. Zilberman, [printed by] Ts. Hirsh Pettsal, 1859. Quarto, contemporary marbled boards rebacked, pp. 67. $950.

First edition of this responsa by Maimonides’ son, printed from a manuscript found by Baer (Dov) ben Alexander Goldberg, a copyist of Hebrew manuscript at Oxford University.

The author, Maimonides' only son, was compelled to defend his father's works, in this case Maimonides' Yad Hazakah, harshly criticized by Daniel ben Sa'adiah of Baghdad. As in his other responsa, the author, a halakhic authority on his own, distinguishes himself with his clarity and brevity. The manuscript was discovered by Baer ben Alexander Goldberg, a copyist of Hebrew manuscripts at Oxford University, and later at the Bibliothéque Nationale in Paris. Owner annotations and penmanship trials on front pastedown.

A few spots to generally clean text, light wear to extremities. Very good in contemporary marbled boards.