Hon Ashir – Amsterdam, 1731 – First Edition – Sheet Music which Inspired the Chabad Lechatchilah Ariber Melody

Hon Ashir – Amsterdam, 1731 – First Edition – Sheet Music which Inspired the Chabad Lechatchilah Ariber Melody

Hon Ashir, commentaries and novellae on the Six Orders of Mishnah, by the kabbalist R. Immanuel Chai Ricchi. Amsterdam: Shlomo Katz Proops, [1731]. First edition.
The author, R. Immanuel Chai Ricchi, author of Mishnat Chassidim, writes in his first preface to this book that he composed the book in Safed over the course of two years. While traveling in a ship, he was robbed of everything he owned by Berber pirates, miraculously succeeding in saving only this book.
Two poems composed by R. Immanuel Chai Ricchi were printed in this book, including musical notation. According to Chabad tradition, this was the source for the melody known as "Lechatchilah Ariber", composed by the Rebbe Maharash of Lubavitch, which corresponds to the original poem by R. Immanuel Chai Ricchi. Chabad tradition attributes this melody to the Arizal, on the basis that R. Immanuel Chai Ricchi was one of the great transmitters of the Arizal's kabbalistic teachings (see at length in: Prof. Edwin Seroussi, 'Lechatchilah Ariber': The Transmission of an Italian Melody to Chabad Tradition and Oriental Piyyut", in: Prof. David Asaf, Oneg Shabbat blog, September 14, 2018 [Hebrew]).

[2], 168, [2] leaves. 22.5 cm. Good condition. Stains, including light dampstains. Light wear. Small tears and damage to margins of some leaves. Early leather binding, with damage and wear and open tear to top of spine.