"Chorev." First Edition. Altona, 1837

"Chorev." First Edition. Altona, 1837

Chorev by Rabbi Samson Refael Hirsch, Altona, 1837. First edition. The source of every mitzvah of the Torah, "Teami HaMitzvot," ways to recognize the "ta'am" of the mitzvah in all of its details - through the latest poskim.

The author's first work. He finished writing it in 1835, when he was just 27-years-old and rabbi of Oldenburg. Jewish publishers refused to take the financial risk of printing such a large book, in light of the difficult economic situation of German Jewry at the time. The rabbi then approached a non-Jewish publisher in Altona who was unfamiliar with the Jewish market. He was also skeptical about the finances, so he asked Rabbi Hirsch to first print a small, experimental booklet. Rabbi Hirsch then printed his famed Igrot Tzafon in Altona in 1836. It was widely successful, so the publisher agreed to publish this Chorev in 1837.

The book was not intendend to offer halachic rulings, but rather to draw Jewish youth to Torah and Jewish tradition. However, over time, the book became a "Shulchan Aruch" for Ashkenazic Jewry. The book was written in German, with high literary language. Includes many Hebrew quotes. Rabbi Hirsch called his book "Nisyaon L'Hasbir et Torat Yisrael" [an attempt to explain the Jewish Torah]. Over the years, the book was translated into many languages and printed in many editions.

This first edition is very rare. 

800, XVI pages, 20 cm. German.

New cover with gilt lettering on spine. Stains, good condition.