Siddur. Sephardi rite - siddur for everyday use and for Festivals. Amsterdam, [1739]. Printed by Naphtali Hirtz Levi. Miniature edition.
Separate title pages for the Festival prayers. Several variants are listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book (Listing 306843). An extra title page has been added to this siddur - not in its proper place - between leaves 219 and 220. The two title-pages vary: The first title page has mention that the book was printed in the home of "Naftali Hirtz Levi", "By the behest of the brothers…Tzemach Ya'akov David, sons of R. Meir Crescas" and on the verso is an introduction signed by the publisher - R. Meir Crescas: "In Amsterdam, I have seen a miniature siddur with unvowelized small lettering and youngsters cannot read the text when praying. I felt their discomfort and have printed this siddur… in the smallest volume ever printed in thin small letters…". On the second title page (which as mentioned above is bound between leaves 219 and 220), the name Crescas does not appear. The same introduction as above appears on the verso, however it is signed "Naphtali Hirtz Levi Rofeh". The explanation is: The book was printed by R. Naphtali Hirtz Levi, but R. Meir Crescas purchased copies of the book, and had the title-page and introduction replaced with one that bore his name and the names of his sons. In some copies, the ordinary title-page (that with the Naphtali Hirtz Levi imprint) was bound in, mistakenly, together with the title-page of R. Meir Crescas (see: Catalogue of the permanent and loan collections of the Jewish Museum, London, edited by R. D. Barnett, London 1974, p. 117).
Another variance exists in this copy which was not recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book: Leaf 5 is bound again (for the second time), together with the second title page, between leaves 219 and 220.
219, [2], 220-318 leaves. Approximately 6 cm. Good condition. Stains. Original leather binding with gilt ornamentation. Damaged binding.