Manuscript – Commentary by Rabbi Samson Refael Hirsch to Bamidbar – 32 Pages in his Handwriting – German and Hebrew

Autograph manuscript of R. Samson Refael Hirsch – sections of his commentary to the Torah and of translations of verses from Bamidbar, written in German and Hebrew and arranged for print [Frankfurt am Main, ca. 1870s].
These sixteen leaves contain the commentary of R. Samson Refael Hirsch beginning with Naso, chapter 6 verse 19, until Behaalotecha chapter 10, verse 12; and the German translation of the verses of Naso, chapter 6, verse 22 through Behaalotecha chapter 10 verse 28.
Author's autograph, with deletions and additions. 32 large pages in close, small handwriting. The main part of the text is the lengthy commentary by R. Samson Refael Hirsch. The margins contain the translation of the verses to German, as well as additions and corrections to the commentary. (The text of the printed book incorporates these additions and corrections, and this manuscript is presumably the revised edition of the commentary, brought to print in 1876. The manuscript contains emphasized words, which were also emphasized in print). The composition was published in the author's lifetime in Frankfurt, between 1867 and 1878, and later published in further editions, in several languages.
R. Shimshon ben R. Refael Hirsch (1808-1888) was the legendary leader of German Orthodox Jewry and founder of the association of independent communities. He was a disciple of Chacham Bernays of Hamburg, and of R. Yaakov Etlinger, the Aruch LaNer of Altona. At the age of 22, he began serving in the rabbinates of Oldenburg, Emden and Nikolsburg. In 1850, he was summoned by eleven orthodox families in Frankfurt am Main to stand at the helm of the new orthodox community Adat Yeshurun. R. Samson Refael Hirsch was the first to attempt to stem the rapid spiritual decline of German Jewry, painstakingly rebuilding Orthodox Jewry in Germany. His Halachic and Torah authority earned him the undisputed position of leader of Orthodox Jewry in Western Europe. He invested great effort in establishing the independent communities in various German cities, and educated an entire generation to Torah and observance, through his discourses, books and essays (the Nineteen Letters, Horeb and others), which were originally delivered and written in German, and have since been translated and published in many editions, in Hebrew and other languages.
His magnum-opus is undoubtedly his expansive commentary on the Torah, which contains profound philosophical ideas of Jewish ideology, faith and ethics, composition which serves until this day as a basis for books on Jewish thought and for many lecturers. This work is a commentary on the Torah based on the teachings of Chazal and the early commentators, incorporating original ideas by the author, on man's duty in this world, which are supported by his profound knowledge in Kabbalah, "though he never mentions Kabbalistic works in his commentary, Kabbalists have already pronounced that his commentary on the Torah was profoundly influenced by the Zohar…" (Shemesh Marpeh, New York 1992, pp. 308-309). An eye witness testified that the draft notebooks of his commentary contain many quotations from the Zohar (ibid.), though in this manuscript, which contains the commentary prepared for print, the sources of those quotations were omitted. In his commentaries pertaining to Halachic topics, his distinct and comprehensive knowledge of Talmudic topics is apparent, including of subjects of Kodashim and Taharot. Reputedly, the Ktav Sofer, when he met him in his youth, was impressed with his erudition and the breadth of his knowledge of Talmud and Halacha, saying: "…whichever topic we discussed, anywhere in the Talmud and in Halacha, he was fluent" (Shemesh Marpeh, p. 290). In the approbations to his responsa work Shemesh Marpeh (New York, 1992), the leading Torah scholars of our generation describe the importance of R. Samson Refael Hirsch's works: "His famous compositions, in all of which his objective was to demonstrate the supremacy and truth of our holy Torah… and to establish religious observance without any deviation whatsoever from the tradition of our ancestors and teachers… (the words of R. Elazar Menachem Shach in his approbation); "A leader in Jewish thought, ceaseless in his endeavors to establish religious observance" (the words of R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv in his approbation).
[16] leaves, written on both sides. 28-29 cm. Thin, high-quality paper, some leaves blueish. Good-fair condition. Stains and ink spillages. Tears and wear with slight damage to text. Without binding.