Divre agur ben Yaḳeh el ha-talmid
Jacob ben Judah Landau, active 15th century
Divre agur ben Yaḳeh el ha-talmid ... ’Azariyah Avraham ... (Sayings of Agur, Son of Yakeh, to the Student…’Azariyah Avraham)
Naples: ’Azriʼel ben Yosef Ashkenazi Guntsenhozer, ca. 1490
Divre agur ben Yaḳeh (Sayings of Agur, Son of Yaḳeh) is a concise halachic compendium, or compilation of Jewish law. It is also known as simply Agur, which refers to a sage by that name who is said to have lived in the time of Solomon and contributed to the biblical Book of Proverbs. The author, the 15th-century rabbi Jacob ben Judah Landau, was born and educated in Germany. He later moved to Italy and eventually settled in Naples around 1487, where he worked as a proofreader at the new Hebrew printing press that Joseph Ashkenazi Gunzenhauser and his son Azriel established. His book would be published here a few years later.
The book’s title emphasized the humility, wisdom, and fear of God expressed in Agur’s proverbs. Landau wrote this book for a student of his who was gifted in physics but didn’t have time for in-depth study of the Talmud. Divre agur provided an abridged and practical compilation of the halachic rules.
The heavily decorated woodcut on the title page features popular Renaissance elements such as cherubs flying and playing in a flowery, ornamental space. It also includes extensive annotations by one of its former owners that date to the mid-17th century.
The New York Public Library believes that this item is in the public domain under the laws of the United States, but did not make a determination as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. This item may not be in the public domain under the laws of other countries.
