A Rare 19th-Century Edition of Maimonides’s Essential Medical Aphorisms, featuring two title pages and endorsements from the Jewish world’s most venerated sages.
This historic volume contains
"Pirkei Moshe" (פרקי משה), the medical masterwork by
Maimonides (Rambam), Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204). The work is a critical compilation of 1,500 aphorisms from the Greek physician Galen, which Maimonides edited, corrected, and integrated with his own vast clinical and philosophical knowledge. It was a foundational text in both Jewish and general medical study for centuries.
Key Bibliographical & Unique Features:
- Author: Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Rambam).
- Title: Sefer Pirkei Moshe: Hu Sefer Ha-Refu’ot (The Book of Moses’ Aphorisms: That is the Book of Medicines).
- Edition: Vilna, 1888 (תרמ"ח) — Printed by Y. L. Lipman and S. Z. Schriftsitzer.
- Highly Collectible Dual Title Pages: This edition is notably printed with two distinct title pages. The first is typically in the classical Hebrew style, while the second (visible in the attached images) often includes details in a European language (Russian/Cyrillic), signifying a major publishing house operation and a collectible variation not found in all editions.
Historical Endorsements (Haskamot)
The book preserves the important endorsements originally granted to the first edition of the commentary, connecting this 19th-century print to earlier, revered generations of scholarship. The Haskamot in this copy include those from:
- Rabbi Elazar Landau of Brody (1778–1831)
A significant rabbinic figure and scholar from Galician Jewry. His expertise on Maimonides is confirmed by his authorship of Yad ha-Melekh, a key work of commentary and novellae on the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah. His endorsement places this work at the heart of the intellectual tradition of Eastern Europe.
- Rabbi Reuven Adasi (הרב ראובן אדאסי זצ"ל)
An esteemed rabbinic authority whose endorsement highlights the work’s acceptance among leading scholars of the time.
Condition report:
The book is in
Good/Fair Antique Condition, showing honest wear consistent with a historical text over 135 years old.
- Binding: The original period binding (likely half-cloth or leather over marbled boards) is visibly worn, scuffed, and heavily rubbed along the edges and spine.
- Interior: Pages show typical darkening, tanning, and minor foxing (age spots). The Hebrew text is clear and fully legible throughout. The book is complete.
This volume is an essential acquisition for any collector specializing in Jewish medical history, the works of Maimonides, or the unique bibliographical practices of the great Vilna printing houses.
