Lekach Tov, by Rabbi Moshe Najara (with a Poem by His Son Rabbi Yisrael Najara) – Constantinople, 1575 – Only Edition – Fine Copy

Lekach Tov, commentary on the Torah, with excerpts from the Talmud, Mechilta, Sifra and Sifrei, following the order of the Rambam's listing of the mitzvot, by R. Moshe Najara. Constantinople: Solomon and Joseph Yaavetz, [1575]. Only edition.
The author, R. Moshe Najara (d. 1581), was a Safed Torah scholar during the times of the Arizal, and one of the latter's disciples. His family originated from Nájera, Spain. His father, R. Levi Najara, was a Spanish exile, and after spending a few years in Constantinople, he relocated with his family to Safed, where Moshe was born. R. Moshe possessed outstanding talents, and was rabbinically ordained at a young age. Following the 1579 attack on the Jews of Safed, R. Moshe fled together with many other Jews to Damascus, where he was shortly appointed a head of the rabbis. He married the daughter of R. Yisrael di Curiel, one of the four disciples ordained by R. Yaakov Berav. His son, R. Yisrael Najara, composed the famous piyyut Kah Ribbon.
Afterword and poem by R. Yisrael Najara, son of the author, on the final leaf.
Inscriptions at top of title page (partly trimmed): "This book belongs to the woman…", "Belongs to the exceptional leader…".
Fine copy. 149, [1] leaves. Leaves 84-85 bound out of sequence. 27.5 cm. Light-colored, thick, high-quality paper. Good condition. Stains. Small open tear to top of title page, repaired with paper. Worming (mostly minor) in several places. Worming affecting text to approx. ten leaves (104-113), and with minor damage to several other leaves. New, elegant leather binding. Slipcased.
Provenance: Valmadonna Trust Library.