Commentary on Tractate Avot – Lechem Yehuda – Sabbioneta, 1554 – Second Edition, Printed Following the Burning of ...

Commentary on Tractate Avot – Lechem Yehuda – Sabbioneta, 1554 – Second Edition, Printed Following the Burning of the Talmud
Commentary on Tractate Avot – Lechem Yehuda, with the text of Avot, by R. Yehuda son of Shmuel Lerma Sephardi. Sabbioneta: Tobias Foa, [1554].
The first edition of this work was printed in Venice, in 1553, in 1500 copies, which were destroyed during the burning of the Talmud that year; very few copies of that edition are extant.
In his preface to the present edition, the author relates that he already printed the book once in Venice, but in Cheshvan 1553, all 1500 copies he printed were destroyed during the burning of the Talmud. He was compelled to try to reconstruct his commentary from memory, and after he had written three chapters, he managed to obtain a single surviving copy. He then proceeded to compare the two versions, and came to the conclusion that the second was more complete than the first, as it contained many added homilies (see: A. Yaari, Mechkarei sefer, Jerusalem 1958, pp. 208, 360).
Author's colophon on p. 163b: "The commentary to Tractate Avot was completed… by me, Yehuda son of R. Shmuel Lerma the Sephardi, on 27th Cheshvan 1552".
Printer's colophon at the foot of the same page: "Printed by Cornelio Adelkind and proofread by Yosef son of R. Yaakov Shalit of Padua, in the house of R. Tobias Foa".
Ownership inscription at foot of title page: "Belongs to R. Yaakov son of R. Shimshon"; and on p. 2a: "Belongs to the distinguished R. Wolf Oppenheim".
163, [1] leaves. 20.5 cm. Overall good condition. Stains, including many dampstains. Minor marginal open tears and wear to title page. Dark inked stamps to title page, on engraving. Abrasions to title page (from removal of stamp). Inscriptions. Early leather binding, damaged.
Printer's device of Tobias Foa on final leaf: two rampant lions flanking a palm tree with a Star of David in the center, all within a Renaissance-style cartouche. The cartouche is set in a rectangular frame; the verse "The righteous shall flourish like a palm" is inscribed above it, with the initials of Tobias Foa on the other three sides. See: A. Yaari, Diglei HaMadpisim HaIvriim, image 20-21; p. 133 (the present device is slightly different).
The printer Tobias son of Eliezer Foa established a Hebrew printing press in Sabbioneta in 1551, where he printed some 25 titles until 1559.