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Country of Location:
Country of Location
Switzerland
Location:
Location
Zürich
Library / Collection:
Library / Collection
Braginsky Collection
Shelfmark:
Shelfmark
B274
Manuscript Title:
Manuscript Title
Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (Large Book of Commandments)
Caption:
Caption
Parchment · 558 ff. · 31 x 23.4 cm · [Ashkenaz] Sierre? · 1288
Language:
Language
Hebrew
Manuscript Summary:
Manuscript Summary
This is the earliest known manuscript of Moses of Coucy's classic legal code and also the earliest dated codex in the Braginsky Collection. The Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (abbreviated the SeMaG) became a major and accepted source of halakhic rulings. It was frequently quoted and abridged; many commentaries were composed on it. The manuscript was copied by Hayyim ben Meir ha-Levi in 1288, possibly in Sierre, (Switzerland). This hypothesis is based on the fact that in the Biblothèque national in Paris there is another manuscript (ms. hébr.370) of the same work, by the same scribe, which is assumed to have been copied in Sierre a few years later than the Braginsky manuscript. More than two centuries after the writing of the manuscript, in 1528, Joseph ben Kalonymos acquired it in Posen (Poland) and completed the few leaves that were missing by that time. (red)
DOI (Digital Object Identifier):
DOI (Digital Object Identifier
10.5076/e-codices-bc-b-0274 (http://dx.doi.org/10.5076/e-codices-bc-b-0274)
Permanent link:
Permanent link
https://e-codices.ch/en/list/one/bc/b-0274
IIIF Manifest URL:
IIIF Manifest URL
IIIF Drag-n-drop https://e-codices.ch/metadata/iiif/bc-b-0274/manifest.json
How to quote:
How to quote
Zürich, Braginsky Collection, B274: Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (Large Book of Commandments) (https://e-codices.ch/en/list/one/bc/b-0274).
Online Since:
Online Since
10/13/2016
External resources:
External resources
Rights:
Rights
Images:
(Concerning all other rights see each manuscript description and our Terms of use)
Document Type:
Document Type
Manuscript
Century:
Century
13th century
Dated:
Dated
1288
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e-codices · 09/21/2016, 15:32:58

This is the earliest known manuscript of Moses of Coucy’s classic legal code and the earliest dated codex in the Braginsky Collection. It is possible that the manuscript was written in Sierre (Valais), Switzerland. This hypothesis is based on the fact that in the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris there is another manuscript (ms. hébr. 370) of the same work, by the same scribe, which is assumed to have been copied in Sierre a few years later than the Braginsky manuscript. More than two centuries after the writing of the manuscript, in 1528, Joseph ben Kalonymos acquired it in Posen from someone called Ezekiel, and completed the few leaves that were missing by
that time. In the twentieth century the manuscript was one of the proud possessions of the famous Schocken Collection.
In addition to being a leading rabbinic scholar, Moses of Coucy was also an interesting public figure. In 1236 he traveled from his native France to Spain, where he delivered fiery speeches to wide audiences and urged them to observe the commandments more strictly, particularly those pertaining to tefillin, mezuzah, and tzitzit. He also admonished the people to be more ethical in their behavior toward Gentiles, both in the realms of business and personal relations. In 1240 Moses took part in the disputation on the Talmud held in Paris.
His magnum opus, the SeMaG, is arranged according to the negative and positive commandments, with rich material related to them under each. He was deeply influenced by the legal code of Maimonides, the Mishneh Torah. The writings of Moses of Coucy, therefore, were one of the channels through which the Maimonidean code gained wide recognition in Ashkenaz. The SeMaG became a major and accepted source for halakhic rulings. It was frequently quoted and abridged; many commentaries were composed on it. Surviving in a relatively large number of manuscripts, it was one of the earliest Hebrew books ever printed.

A Journey through Jewish Worlds. Highlights from the Braginsky collection of Hebrew manuscripts and printed books, hrsg. E. M. Cohen, S. L. Mintz, E. G. L. Schrijver, Amsterdam, 2009, p. 34.

e-codices · 09/21/2016, 15:29:53

Dieses Exemplar ist die früheste bekannte Handschrift von Moses von Coucys klassischem religionsgesetzlichem Kodex Sefer mizwot gadol (SeMaG) und zugleich der älteste Kodex in der Braginsky Collection. Möglicherweise wurde die Handschrift in Siders (französisch Sierre) im heute schweizerischen Wallis geschrieben. Diese Annahme stützt sich auf eine Handschrift desselben Werks und desselben Schreibers in der Bibliothèque nationale in Paris (ms. hebr. 370), von der man annimmt, sie sei wenige Jahre vor der Handschrift der Braginsky Collection in Siders geschrieben worden. Mehr als zwei Jahrhunderte nach der Niederschrift erwarb sie Joseph ben Kalonymos in Posen von einem gewissen Ezechiel und vervollständigte die wenigen fehlenden Seiten. Im 20. Jahrhundert befand sich dieses Sefer mizwot gadol in der berühmten Sassoon Collection.
Moses von Coucy war nicht nur ein anerkannter rabbinischer Gelehrter, sondern setzte sich auch in der Öffentlichkeit für die Festigung des jüdischen Glaubens ein. 1236 reiste er von seiner Herkunftsregion in Frankreich nach Spanien, wo er flammende Reden hielt. Er rief seine Zuhörer zur strikten Befolgung der Gebote auf. Sie sollten die Tefillin (Gebetsriemen) anlegen, die Mesusa (Schriftkapsel am Türpfosten) anbringen und die Zizit (Schaufäden) tragen. Er ermahnte sein Publikum auch, den Einheimischen mehr Respekt entgegenzubringen, und zwar sowohl in Geschäftsangelegenheiten wie in den persönlichen GesetzesgelehrteBeziehungen. 1240 nahm Moses von Coucy an der ebenso berühmten wie berüchtigten ersten Disputation über den Talmud in Paris teil.

Schöne Seiten. Jüdische Schriftkultur aus der Braginsky Collection, Hrsg. von Emile Schrijver und Falk Wiesemann, Zürich 2011, S. 58.

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A Journey through Jewish Worlds. Highlights from the Braginsky collection of Hebrew manuscripts and printed books, hrsg. E. M. Cohen, S. L. Mintz, E. G. L. Schrijver, Amsterdam, 2009, p. 34-35.

Schöne Seiten. Jüdische Schriftkultur aus der Braginsky Collection, Hrsg. von Emile Schrijver und Falk Wiesemann, Zürich 2011, S. 58-59.

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