Extremely rare, beautiful variant copy with colors and gilding: Passover Haggadah – The first Haggadah with copper ...

Extremely rare, beautiful variant copy with colors and gilding: Passover Haggadah – The first Haggadah with copper engravings and the first that was published with a map. Amsterdam, [1695]. Including a map of Eretz Yisrael.

This Haggadah contains several commentaries: an Ashkenazic translation of the Piyyutim Adir Huh, Echad Mi Yode'a and Chad Gadya. The Abravanel's commentary, an abbreviation of his Zevach Pesach commentary. The name of the abbreviator was not specified; however, this abbreviation is unlike the other, better-known abbreviations and in its last part was continued by another author, who certainly is not the Abravanel. This commentary was later printed many times.

Peirush al pi Sod, an abbreviation of the commentary by the Gaon the Mekubal Rabbi Yeshaya Halevi Horowitz from his book The Shelah.

An interesting and unique combination in this Haggadah is reflected in the fact that it is designed for Sephardim and Ashkenazim alike. The Haggadah contains Ashkenazic and Sephardic Piyyutim, both versions of Birkat Hamazon and more, and instructions "so far for Ashkenazim from here for Sephardim". Moreover, Baal Hahaggadah assumed that Hebrew was not its reader's spoken language; therefore, throughout the Haggadah, there are instructions in two languages side-by-side: Yiddish and Ladino. In the Ashkenazic Birkat Hamazon, the instructions are only in Yiddish whereas in the Sephardic version, only in Ladino. This duality befits Amsterdam, where the Haggadah was printed, since both communities, the Ashkenazic and Sephardic, lived one beside the other.

14 large spectacular engravings depicting the Haggadah's stories. This Haggadah is the first one that was illustrated with many copper engravings, beautifully depicting the biblical scenes throughout the Haggadah. This is one of the first Hebrew books that were illustrated using this printing technique.

Appearing at the end of the Haggadah is a folding plate with the Map of Eretz Yisrael depicting the division of the land among the Tribes. This Haggadah is the first that was published with a map. This map is one of the first Hebrew maps. It was done by the convert Avraham ben Yaakov, who used to be a Christian preacher who converted to Judaism in Amsterdam. His works left a significant impression on the Hebrew book, the most famed of them being this map.

This copy is a variant with two title pages – the first with a spectacular copper engraving. Unlike most copies of the 1695 edition, the title page does not have the six illustrations depicting varied Biblical scenes. Instead, it depicts Moshe alongside the burning bush, which was used mainly in the later 1712 edition.   This illustration is extremely rare and does not appear in most copies.

This copy is a unique and special one in which the title page and all 14 illustrations were hand-colored. In addition, the words "Haggadah shel Pesach" and the initials of the major passages, which were usually printed in bold black ink (such as "Ha" and "Shefoch") were gilded. The folding map was also colored in a variety of colors.

This copy was given as a gift by no other than the famed Shlomo Proops of Amsterdam, who was one of the contemporary leading printers of Hebrew books (as written in red on the second title page).

There are only two such copies that are known to exist around the world, both owned by public institutions: one by the Etz Chaim Library of Amsterdam and the second by the Cincinnati Hebrew Union College.

This copy is apparently the only known copy which is privately owned.

Amsterdam, [1695]. The Press of Asher Anschel ben Eliezer Chazan and Yissachar ber ben Avraham Eliezer.

[1], 26 leaves. [1] folding map. 35 cm. Good condition. Some leaves are incomplete, with slight damage to text. The map is also partly blemished. The entire Haggadah is professionally restored - the illustrated title page is also professionally restored and completed as well as the map. Fine new binding with a matching case.

Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod 454. Yudlov, Otzar Hahaggadot 93. Yaari 59.

On the illustrations, the map and the illustrator, the convert Avraham ben Yaakov: B. Ruth, "Hahaggadah Hametzuyeret Shebadfus, " Areshet, III, 1961, pp. 22-25.

Special and beautiful exclusive copy of one of the Haggadahs that is most desired by collectors.