TUR ORAH HAYYIM (HALAKHIC CODE) WITH THE VA-YIGGASH YEHUDAH (JUDAH APPROACHED) COMMENTARY OF RABBI JUDAH LEIB CHANELES, LUBLIN: KALONYMUS BEN MORDECHAI JAFFE, [CA. 1596]-1599

The first edition of an important commentary on Orah hayyim of the Tur.

Rabbi Judah Leib Chaneles composed his Va-yiggash yehudah as a word-by-word commentary on Rabbi Jacob ben Asher’s Arba‘ah turim. In his introduction, he notes that Rabbi Joseph Caro (1488-1575), in his monumental work Beit yosef, was at times brief where he should have been much more expansive. He therefore sought to fill in the gaps, raise questions on some of Caro’s explanations, and present more accurate versions of the text of the Tur not available to Caro. Chaneles apparently finished his commentary on all four parts of the Tur but passed away in January 1596 as the present volume was in production; printing was therefore completed by his brother Jacob. The book would go on to be reprinted in modified form in numerous subsequent editions of the Tur.