Rare Dual Title Page Edition: Pirkei Moshe (Moses' Medical Aphorisms) by Maimonides – Vilna, 1888
Description
Author: Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (רבי משה בן מימון – הרמב"ם), known as Maimonides (1138–1204).
Content: This historic volume contains Pirkei Moshe (פרקי משה), the medical masterwork by Maimonides. The work is a critical compilation of approximately 1,500 aphorisms from the Greek physician Galen, which Maimonides edited, corrected, and integrated with his own vast clinical and philosophical knowledge. It served as a foundational text in both Jewish and general medical study for centuries.
Bibliographical Significance (Dual Title Pages): This edition is notably printed with two distinct title pages. The first is styled in the classical Hebrew fashion within an intricate geometric border. The second features bilingual text, incorporating Cyrillic/Russian details and the imperial censor’s authorization from 1887. This dual layout signifies a major publishing operation and represents a highly collectible variation not found in standard editions.
Historical Endorsements (Haskamot): The book preserves important historical 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, scholar of Galician Jewry, and author of Yad ha-Melech 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 widespread acceptance among leading scholars of the era.
Edition Details: Printed in Vilna (ווילנא) in 1888 (תרמ"ח) by Y. L. Lipman and S. Z. Schriftsitzer, under the scholarly editorial guidance of Tzemach Magid of Kovno (צמח מגיד מקאוונא).
Condition report:
Status: Good to Fair Antique Condition.
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. The spine is split along the outer joints, meaning the front and back boards require careful handling. However, the internal text block itself remains sound and stable.
Interior: Pages show typical darkening, natural age-tanning, and minor foxing or light handling spots consistent with an item over 135 years old. The Hebrew and bilingual text elements remain crisp, bold, and fully legible throughout. The book is complete.
Significance: 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.
