Description
Overview: A complete, beautifully preserved example of the 1865 Warsaw edition of Sefer Mateh Dan (ספר מטה דן), also known historically as Kuzari Sheni (כוזרי שני). This text stands as one of the most brilliant defenses of traditional rabbinic Judaism and the authenticity of the Talmudic sages ever composed.
Author: Composed by Haham David Nieto (רבי דוד ניטו; 1654–1728), the world-renowned Sephardic Chief Rabbi of London, philosopher, mathematician, and physician.
The Three Pillars of Authority: The detailed title page explicitly draws upon the combined rabbinic weight and approvals of three historical giants spanning diverse traditions: the Ashkenazi leader Chacham Tzvi, the halachic master Sha’agat Aryeh, and the legendary Sephardic traveler and bibliographer The Chida.
Content: Written in a dynamic, highly engaging dialogue format patterned closely after the style of Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi, Nieto systematically dismantles Karaite philosophy and early modern skepticism, reinforcing the divine origin of the Oral Law.
Publishing Context: Printed in Warsaw (ווארשא) in 1865 (תרכ"ה) by the highly regarded press of F. Baumritter & Spólka, during the absolute height of the 19th-century Eastern European printing renaissance.
Condition report:
Status: Very Good/Restored Study Condition.
Binding: Professionally upgraded and restored in a modern, tight, and durable black library-grade buckram cloth binding. The binding is structurally flawless, square, and fully intact, built to withstand immediate study and extensive handling.
Interior: Complete text. The internal leaves are exceptionally stable, presenting clean, crisp margins and crisp black typography with very light, soft natural uniform age-toning typical of the era. Free of interior stamps or structural tears.
