Amudei Shesh, by the Author of Kli Yakar. Prague, [1617]. First Edition. Extremely Rare

Amudei Shesh, by the Author of Kli Yakar. Prague, [1617]. First Edition. Extremely Rare
Amudei Shesh sermons and mussar divided into six pillars: Torah, Avodah, Gemilut Chassadim, Din, Emet and Shalom, with each 'pillar' divided into chapters, by Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, author of Kli Yakar. One of the rarest books of sermons. The National Library's complete copy was purchased just recently from the Valmadonna Library. 
This is the first edition that the author printed in his lifetime. He wrote an interesting introduction about his dealings and hassles at the yeshivah and in the Prague rabbinate and about the fact that he had started writing the book already in 1607. Architectural title page, woodcut engraving with figures of cherubs. Large engraving of the printer's device on leaf 2. Corrections and references are written on the margins of the pages in ancient script.
Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz [1540-1619] was the author of Kli Yakar. He studied at the Maharsha"l's yeshivah in his youth, and he referred to him as his teacher and his rabbi. He served as rosh yeshivah and Av Beit Din of Prague at the same time as the Mahara"l and the Shela"h. After the Mahara"l's passing, he served as the only rabbi of Prague until 1614, when the Shela"h (who was driven out of Frankfurt) started serving with him as the town's rabbi. He was one of the most well-known Jewish sermonizers of his generation and one of the leaders of the Council of Four Lands, signing most of the decisions reached during this period. Unusually, the Council financed the printing of his book, Kli Yakar.
40 leaves, 28 cm. Fine condition. Aging stains. Isolated worming holes in the white margins. Reinforcements to the margins of several leaves. Taped reinforcements on the title page without damage to text. New binding.