Before the young and the old, the wise and discerning, chieftains and esteemed scholars, the one who yearned and desired, toiled, labored, and collected, the precious and sublime, with song, praise and glory, the esteemed rabbi, R. Shabbetai Meshorer Bass of Prague (may God protect and preserve him), the brother of the pietist, the Kabbalist, outstanding in his generation, may his light and the glory of his brilliance and splendor shine as the sun, the esteemed rabbi, R. Jacob Strimmers, may God preserve him, the sons of the martyr R. Joseph, may the Lord avenge him. Only this is his wish, and this he requests, from anyone who knocks on the doors of books: that he first read the entire Introduction, and see the benefits [to be gained] in the book, more precious than treasured stones.

            In Amsterdam, at the praiseworthy press of the worthy, David Tartas, may God preserve him, in his home, in the year 1680 [written in the Hebrew for "Give Your hand for my help," the initial letters of which produce the numerical value of the year].

 

Blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord of Hosts to carefully read every word and letter of the Introduction.

            I saw in several books that the authors adjure with the holy names, that the readers not read the book until they read the Introduction, but I am not like that. I sit at the entrance of the tent, to see if there any passerby [a reference to Gen. 18 and the commentary by Rashi ad loc.], to bring him in through the doors of my house with fine and tempting words. I say, Come, blessed be the Lord, happy are you for having merited to knock and enter through the gate. Who among you fears the Lord, hear the voice of His servant. And to the small as to the great I say: If I have found favor in your eyes, do not pass by until you read the Introduction from its beginning to its end, for without it, this book will be like the words of a sealed book for you, which, if given to the knowledgeable saying, "Please read this," he will reply, "I cannot, because it is sealed." In the Introduction you will find balm for your soul, to understand all the book's notations and topics; afterwards, you will go from strength to strength, to see everything properly set and propitiously. I will concisely tell you here a bit about the book. In it you will find the names of the books of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings; the names of all the commentators are given; and the names of all the books are ordered alphabetically, with their authors, their contents (what they are about). I put them all in a large gate with two doors [i.e., sections], one of which I called "The Written Torah," and the other, "The Oral Torah," to mark them. I made twenty indexes [the word mafteah means both "index", as the indexes in this book, and "key," i.e., the keys for the book's "doors" and "chambers"] for all the chambers of the Torah [so that] you will have a short path to each and every subject: all the books of midrashim, commentators, and expositions, novellae, both old and new; responsa on the Talmud, [Rashi's] commentary, Tosafot, and on the decisors; books of astronomy, philosophy, and grammar; books on the fear of God and piety and Kabbalistic books; tales, books of indexes, and prayerbooks. If you wish to study, search, and examine, you will find in alphabetical order the root and the source. Accordingly, if you read the Introduction you will act kindly with me, and I will serve you with all my soul and with all my might.

 

And may God, the Creator [ha-Bore],

bless the reader [ha-kore; one of the many instances of the author's use of rhymes].

These words are said for the grandeur of the authors,

Praise and greatness, blessing and glory, strength of action, fine and excellent [the initial letters of these Hebrew phrases spell the author's first name: Shabbetai]

 

[The author divides the books listed into eight categories:

 

1. Commentaries, expositions, and prayers
2. Decisors and laws
3. History, tales, from the fundamental principles (of faith), and the resurrection of the dead
4. Novellae on Talmud, (Rashi's) commentary, and Tosafot, and responsa by the decisors
5. Fear [of God], piety, and ethical teachings
6. Grammar, astronomy, and philosophy
7. The wisdom of Kabbalah and yihudim (Kabbalistic formulae relating to the ultimate unity of God)
8. The seven (branches) of knowledge, including music

 

To each category he appends two or three lines of – untranslatable – text that, in quite amusing fashion, employ a number of wordplays and other literary techniques, including the following: (1) the first passage contains an acrostic of the Tetragrammaton; (2) the introductory phrases of the other passages are taken from the Yotzer Or blessing of the morning Shaharit service; (3) extensive use of associatively connected, and run-on, phrases]

 

[4a] The Author's Introduction

 

* I sat [shavti; vocalized differently, the author's first name: Shabbetai] and I saw * in books [the first two letters spelling out his last name: Bass; also employed at the beginning of the following paragraph] I understood  * believe my word * I labored and I found [the initial letters of these two phases for the acrostic for "may he live long"]

 

            In the book Shenei Luhot ha-Berit, fol. 13a, this is its wording: I saw and I accepted, even one who is a complete ignoramus and bemoans the paucity of his understanding, and understands nothing; if he wholeheartedly reads the names of Torah, Prophets, Writings, and the Oral Torah – for example, he mentions the names of the five Books of the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Torat Kohanim [= Leviticus], Humash ha-Pekudim [= Numbers], Mishneh Torah [= Deuteronomy], and afterwards he mentions the names of each and every [weekly] portion from the Pentateuch: Bereshit, Noah, Lekh Lekha, etc.; and then, the names of the early and late Prophets and the Writings, such as: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, and so on, for them all; And afterwards, the names of the six Orders of the Mishnah: Zera'im, Moed, Nashim, Nezikin, Kodashim, Tohorot; and the names of all the tractates and their chapters, as they are printed at the end of Sefer Mitzvot Gadol; and then, the names of the Rabbinic midrashim, such as Rabbot, Tanhuma, Sifra, Sifrei, Mekhilta, Torat Kohanim [= Lev. Rabbah], Midrash Tehillim, Mishlei, Abkir, Yalkut, and the like, and many more like these; and likewise, midrashim that speak of divine esoterica, such as Zohar, Tikkunei Zohar, Bahir, Pirkei Merkabah, Peliah, Kanah, and so on: if he reads these names, his soul desires them, and he weeps for his not comprehending them, then he finds favor with the Lord, may He be blessed, and thereby merits this one the [World] to Come. This is on condition that he aids, to the best of his abilities, those who do understand them. Therefore, each person should make a tablet to write in it all the names, which he will read, that they will be fluent in his mouth. [This is beneficial] even for those who are not unlettered, nonetheless, I have seen benei aliyah [those privileged to see the Divine Presence in the afterlife], and only few merit to study them all. Reading the names will be effective, to be deemed as if one studied and learned them all, on condition that he does all that is incumbent upon him to the best of his ability, and "the wise man, hearing them, will gain more wisdom" [Prov. 1:5]. (end of quotation) I also saw that several important sages act in this manner.

            I am perplexed at the thought [literally, sight] that one would receive reward for reading the names of the books, as if he studied and learned them. If this were so, a person would not exert himself so greatly to study all the books, but only read the names of the books, but nevertheless receive his reward for reading the names, and the layman would be as a priest and as a king, for the rabbis are called kings. Furthermore, if one is regarded as if he had studied, why did he [the author of Shenei Luhot ha-Berit] not say, in short, "he is deemed as if he studied"; what is the meaning of this lengthy wording: "will be effective, to be deemed, etc."?

            The matter, therefore, is as follows: it is taught in the Talmud (Yevamot 96[b-97a]): R. [Jo]hanan was angry with R. Eleazar, for he reported this statement at the academy, but did not attribute it. And it is said, he was even angrier. R. Judah said, in the name of Rav, What is the meaning of what is written [Ps. 61:5]: "O that I might dwell in Your tent forever [olamim, literally, "worlds"]" - is it possible for a person to live in two worlds? Rather, David said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the Universe! May it be Your will that a traditional teaching be reported in my name in this world"; for R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon ben Yohai, The lips of every Torah scholar in whose name a teaching is delivered in this world move [or: whisper] in the grave. Rashi interpreted this, His lips move in the grave as if he were alive. And it is written in Tosafot, That when his soul is in the heavenly academy and his lips move in the grave, as if speaking, then at the same time he dwells in two worlds. The author of Ein Yaakov and the author of Yafeh Mareh wrote that this is far from a logical inference, for how can the lips of a dead person move, etc., and certainly so, after some time, he "returns to dust" [Eccl. 3;20]; see there. I found in Hiddushei Aggadot by Maharsha [R. Samuel Eliezer ben Judah ha-Levi Edels], as follows: "I say that this is not far from being logical, for the matter can be explained: Speech is the power of the soul by means of the vessel of the body, and every fine speech begets a similarly fine spiritual power. By attributing [a teaching], this spiritual power that was already born arouses its begetter in both worlds, which are the soul in the World to Come, and the organ of speech, which is the lips, in this world, even if they be in the grave. He draws a comparison with fine wine that lies in a pit, and bubbles and murmurs by the force of the finger that arouses it. Likewise the lips: though they rest in the nethermost pit, they whisper by the force that arouses them. Examine this carefully. (end of quotation)

            Now, go and see: what a person says and mentions in his books in this world is the cause that leads him to dwell in two worlds at the same time. Accordingly, it is proper and correct that the mentioned one [i.e., the dead author] shall do for the mentioner favor for favor, to be an advocate for him, to aid, protect, and save, for all who do so. This is why he said that the reading of the names "will be effective, to be deemed as if one studied and learned." That is, the names that are mentioned from their books in this world – the souls of those people advocate, aid, and are of benefit for him, to protect him, to be deemed as if he had studied. This is because, without this, the Torah protects, both when he was engaged in it and when he was not engaged in it; but he certainly does not have reward as great as if he studied them all. At any rate, he has merit, that arouses and intercedes, that he shall have attorneys and advocates on his behalf. This is why he said "will be effective, to be deemed," and not actually deemed; for a certainty, everything is according to the advocate and helper. In any event, even if he has advocates and attorneys for some matter, they advocate on his behalf.

            But of what avail can the advocate be on his [day of] judgment if he has not studied at all? Rather, the matter is that there are twelve gates of the Garden of Eden, with twelve tribes standing at the entrances of the Heikhalot [the heavenly palaces]. Each one calls to the members of his tribe who leave this [4b] world, if he is righteous: "Come to me, you are from me and you are from my tribe." We find that when a person dies, his soul is entrusted to the angel Tahariel, and he leads the soul to the place fitting for it, to the angel of the eyes, the angel of the ears, the angel of the neck [i.e., the angels in charge of the heavenly palaces reserved for those who used these organs properly], and the like. For up above, in the Garden of Eden, there are the angel of Scripture, the angel of Mishnah, and so on. But if he is unworthy, he is rejected from all the gates. And at that hour the advocate can help him, and ask that he be accepted to some gate, or that he be brought in to his gate, and [from there] upwards. He accordingly said, "and thereby merits for this one the [World] to Come" – when you come to the official Tahariel, if you have no advocates, you are rejected from all the gates, since you did not study and you are not worthy of those gates. If, however, if you will do as I mentioned above, and mention the names and the books, then advocates will be aroused and prepared for you, and you will merit to have those who can be beneficial for you. At any rate, it is difficult: why should these names of people [i.e., the authors] be of benefit for him, for he said that a person should mention only the names of the books, and not that he mention the names of the people. He therefore concludes, "on condition that he does all that is incumbent upon him to the best of his ability, and 'the wise man, hearing them, will gain more wisdom,'" for one must continue, with all his ability, to mention the book and the author by his name, his father's name, and the name of his family; and in any way in which he can know him and mention him by his name, that is fitting for him in this world and in the World to Come; this is the meaning of "with all his ability."

            Now, I have taken my place instead of my forefathers. Forefathers means that they have offspring, but the offspring is not necessarily on their level. I, nevertheless will relate what is truly recorded in the text of our holy Torah, the names of the twenty-four [books of] Scripture, all the portions, the chapters, all the commentators, the midrashim, and their expositions; and all the names of the six Orders of the Mishnah, and each tractate and their chapters, in order to fulfill the testament of our great master, and to make a tablet for each one. Incidentally, I will also list the books of the commentators and novellae, the books of the Kabbalah, the books of grammar, and the books of astronomy and philosophy.

            Do not wonder at my desire to write things that are known even to small schoolchildren, such as selihot [penitential prayers], mahzorim [Festival prayerbooks], prayers, and piyyutim [liturgical hymns]. I will answer this: while they are known and revealed to the Ashkenazim, since this is their custom, the Sefardim and Italians [literally, loazim, those speaking a foreign tongue] will want to learn the prayers, piyyutim, and practices of other lands, and vice versa. The second reason why I included a list of piyyutim is on account of the commentaries, for there are piyyutim with different commentaries. The third, is for the reason given by that eminent sage, the rabbi, R. Isaiah [Horowitz, the author of Shenei Luhot ha-Berit], that each person should make a tablet of all the books, even the names of the portions, and everyone certainly knows this. Rather, the reason is to say them every day and arouse the advocates, as above. Consequently, there is no difference between all the books on this account. I therefore listed the other books, "small and great alike are there" [Job 3:19], when you see the two doors of the book and the twenty indexes, God willing, and they will be of great benefit.

 

The first benefit:

1. "The first to Zion" [Isa. 41:27; the author precedes each of the benefits with a verse or phrase containing the appropriate number, or a numerically-related word, sometimes unrelated to the actual content of the benefit. Here, this has a double meaning, and also means: the first (benefit) to be listed] that is recorded and written on the attributes of the angel. That is, the merit of arousing the advocates and attorneys on account of the reading of the names, and they bring him from one degree to the next, and from one level to the next. Accordingly, it is fit and correct to pray for this. "Therefore let every faithful man pray to You, etc." [Ps. 32:6].

 

            I placed this prayer at the end of the Introduction, to be recited every day after a prayer, that it be more pleasing and accepted, as if one had prayed at the graves of forefathers, for the reasons that I wrote there.

 

The second benefit:

2. "Secondary grades [of forbidden relations] enjoined by the scribes" [M Yevamot 2:4] of books and the authors of works: they will inquire and study this book, and they will find whatever they need, for whatever purpose they wish. See the introduction to the book Meir Netiv, as follows: That every skilled work contains two types of knowledge. One of them is the knowledge of the matters explicit in that work. And the second is the knowledge of the arrangements and the special way in which the one who considers it will examine that work, until he judges with understanding whether what it says is true or false. Accordingly, every work must have known fences and arrangements, underlying causes, and defined subjects. In all these matters, knowledge must precede the study of the work, and this knowledge must be learned before all, see there. This resolves a puzzling midrash in the portion of Vayikra in Lev. Rabbah, as follows: "'The Lord called to Moses' [Lev. 1:1] - from here they said that a carcass [nevelah] is better than any Torah scholar who does not possess knowledge, etc." This is difficult: how can one initially be given the title of Torah scholar, while it afterwards says that he possesses no knowledge? And if he has no knowledge, how can he be given the title of Torah scholar, because this wording is self-contradictory? Moreover, what was said, that a carcass is better than him, is very puzzling, for him to be compared to a carcass, and certainly, [to say] that he is inferior to and worse than a carcass. Rather, it seems to me, following the Talmud, that anyone who is haughty, if he is a wise man, his wisdom leaves him; and likewise, if he is a prophet, etc. It is taught (in the Talmud [tractate] of Berakhot [63b]), on the verse [Prov. 30:32]: "'If you have been scandalously [navalta] arrogant' - whoever abases [menavel] himself for words of Torah will eventually be arrogant; 'if you have been a schemer, then clap your hand to your mouth,' etc." As I mentioned above, one must learn the order, the fence, and the cause before studying, in any matter. Accordingly, [5a] there is a difference between wisdom and knowledge, for one can be a wise person, that is, possessing intelligence, even though he has not learned from others. Knowledge, however, means knowing the order, the fence, and the cause that must be learned from another. This resolves the midrash of "any Torah scholar": that is, even if he is a great sage, but he possesses no knowledge, that is, he has no knowledge of the order and the fence. This, in turn, is difficult: if he is a wise person, why does he not know the order and the fence? rather, perforce, you must say that, since he has not learned from others, but was haughty and imagines himself unique in study, his wisdom thereby leaves him and he becomes the lowest of people; consequently, a carcass is better than him. That is, the one who abases himself for word of Torah, learned from others, "but he who gathers little by little increases it" [Prov. 13:11], and eventually will be raised up; the Torah endures through him, for words of Torah are established only by one who acts as if he does not know, as it is said (Job 28:12): "But where can [literally, from nothing] wisdom be found?" Consequently, this one will be lowered and this one will be raised, and therefore [the question concerning] "a carcass is better than him" is resolved. (I explained this dictum fully, and its place is not here.) Accordingly, whoever "uses divination [kosem kesamim] (with the meaning of [Prov. 16:10] "There is magic [kosem] on the lips of the king"), studies [me'ayen; a change of one letter from the continuation of the original verse in Deut. 18:10 (that speaks of forbidden forms of magic and divination!): "me'onen - is a soothsayer"; *** [mihesh; again a change of one letter from the wording in Deut: "u-menahesh - is an enchanter"]; calculates [mehasehv; one letter different from "u-mehashef - is a sorcerer"], and composes a work [hover hibbur, instead of (v. 11): "hover haver - is a charmer"], must first become a yedoni [Bass uses this Biblical term, meaning one who engages in the forbidden practice of consulting oracles, to mean a person who acquires systematic knowledge (yeda)], who inquires of the fathers [avot; instead of  (Deut. 18:11): ov - consulting a medium], and study the acts [ma'asim, instead of metim in this verse, referring to communicating with the dead] that were done. The desire  of the one who does all these, he shall be wholehearfted [with wordplays based on Deut. 18:12-113, that refer to those various methods ov divination as abominations (to'avot), and mandate that an Israelite must rather be wholehearted with the Lord], and come in peace [ba-shalom] to his rest, and well-being [shalom] within his ramparts [an associative use of a slightly altered phrase from Ps. 122:7;

 

The third benefit:

3. "There are three that are stately of stride [Prov. 30:29] in Scripture, Mishnah, and Talmud. This is of benefit for "the one who does not know how to ask" [from the Passover Seder] the order of study, and begins studying the Turim or Sefer Me'irat Einayim, which is called Sema, while as regards Scripture, Mishnah, and Talmud, he has no mouth [the author emphasizes that this word sounds the same as the letter peh], "like a dumb man who cannot open his mouth" [Ps. 38:14]. Nor does he have an eye [again, with emphasis on this word sounding the same as the letter ayin], and he needs alef [i.e., to begin at the beginning]. Instead of Sema he becomes suma [= a blind person], as a blind person be-rubo [a wordplay on the Talmudic phrase "as a blind man groping his way through a window (be-arubah)], this seeing is not as the other - and neither has the spirit of life [i.e., both are incorrect]. What they have in common is that it is the way of each to go forth and cause harm, and all this is not worth the harm it causes to the King [see Esth. 3:8], the King of the world and the rabbis, whoa re called kings. When, however, he will arise and come, labor, and see in this book all the books, that all are equally good, and for each book he will see its benefit, its quality, and its contents, he will understand and discern what must be studied first. "The sum of the matter, when all is said" [Eccl. 12:13].

 

The fourth benefit:

4. "For four I will revoke it" [based on Amos 1:13]. At times a person desires to study some teaching, of the teachings that are marked by [e.g.,] the letter [discussed under the letter] mem - [in Bass's entry for] Mishneh Torah) that Maimonides set forth; see the list of all types of wisdom. Or a person wishes to study the wisdom of Kabbalah, astronomy, or philosophy, and the like. Or, at times a person requires some verse, for the sake either of some exposition or some law, and he searches with lamp and torch, and examines as far as his hand reaches, and he gropes as a blind person in the dark, and he wearies of finding the entrance and the key [or, index, in the context of this work]; the door remains firmly closed, and he stands "on a spot so narrow that there was no room to swerve right or left" [Num. 22:26]. But in the gates of the curtain, Maon, makhon zevuli [appellations for the Temple], where the guiding lights were hung, to open Hebrew eyes, and where all the keys [with the double meaning of indexes] from all the chambers of the Torah were hung. "This is the gateway to the Lord - the righteous shall enter through it" [Ps. 118:20], "every man with his own camp, and every man with his own standard" [Num. 1:52], "and all these people too will go to their place in peace" [Exod. 18:23].

 

The fifth benefit:

5. "And add one-fifth to it" [Num. 5:7], with five changes: this means, at times a single book is printed several times, and each time some commentary, some gloss, or other things are added to it, such as (the Alfasi, the Turim, Maimonides, and Shulhan Arukh), and there are many like these. The last is the most highly cherished, [while] the first will fall and be set aside in their meagerness. See the book Adam ve-Havah, Netiv 2, Part 4, that a book may not be left without being proofread, lest a mistake be made in the text, and the permitted be prohibited and the prohibited, permitted; and there is no greater perverseness than this. See Shulhan Arukh, para. 279, as follows: "A Torah scroll that is not proofread may not be left for more than thirty days, unless it is corrected or put away. And the same holds true for other books." This teaches that other books are equivalent to a Torah scroll [in this respect]. Additionally, when they are [produced] in different places, the printings are not similar to or the same as each other, and one is better than the other. Likewise, the pagination is not the same, as actually happened to me: I copied many things from a book (Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah), and I sold it. Some time later I purchased the same [book, but] printed in Venice, and then, of all that I had copied, I could not find a single one with the same pagination as the first; I was compelled to search from anew, and to proofread everything in accordance with the second printing. There are many additional such books; it would be too tiring to mention them. So "that the righteous not set their hand to wrongdoing" [Ps. 125:3], I therefore recorded for each book, several times, every place where it was printed; and for each year that it was printed, what was added to it each time. And the size: the large one, according to its largeness, and the small one, according to its smallness.

            This shall be the mark for you: at the end of each book entry, you will find a numerical letter, that is called (num[b]er), that indicates the size of each book.

            When you find the first numerical mark like this (1), this indicates that the book [5b] is as large as a whole sheet of paper, that is called in German (bogen papier), like the large Bibles printed in Venice, or printed at Basel; or like the Talmud printed in Lublin, and the like.

            If the mark will be the number 2 like this (2), this means that the size of two of its pages is as a whole page, such as the Talmud printed in Cracow and the like. This is called in Latin (in folio).

            If the mark will be the number 4 like this (4), this means that the size of four of its pages is as a whole page. A book such as this, which is one-fourth of a page (4), is called in Latin (quarto).

            If the mark will be eight like this (8), this means that eight pages are a whole page, and that is half the size of this book; this is called (octavo).

            And similarly, you will understand the others, as well (12, 16, 24).

            For example, on page 1, of Abudraham is listed as (4), that is, a quarter-page; Ibn Shuaib (2), that is, a half-page, which is called in German (halben bogen); on page 2, Avkat Rohel is listed as (8), that is, an eighth-page.

            I wrote this so that "the teaching of the Lord is perfect" [Ps. 19:8] and whole, to know all the "good signs" [i.e., his marking system]. R. Hisda said about this, The Torah is acquired only [literally, the Torah is not acquired, except] by markers, as it is said [Deut. 31:19]: "put it [simah] in their mouths" - do not read semah, but simanah [its sign]. There is a difficulty: Why did he use the wording "acquired," which is the wording of [property] acquisition; with this meaning that, from the outset, at the time of the acquisition, one must make markers? In actuality, from the outset, one must study, and in order for one's [studies] to be retained, one must make markers. Accordingly, R. Hisda should have said, The Torah is retained only with markers, as I mentioned above, the Torah is retained only, etc. But for our purposes, "the Torah is not acquired" is precise; that is, a person should not acquire any Torah or any book, except with markers - until he sees in it all the good markers and glosses that are added to it every time, and the editing and the printing; that it not contain errors, as, God willing, you will see in this book, and select the choicest.

 

The sixth benefit:

6. "And the shesh [in the Torah (e.g., Exod. 28:5): "the fine linen"; the wiord also menas six] is to increase vying among scribes, to increase wisdom. In it [= this benefit], a person will see once and twice, that are there many, endless books. That they may be zealous with "the zealousness of the Lord of Hosts" [II Kings 19:31; Isa. 9:6]. The turtle and the wood-sorrel [hamid], desireable[hemdah], good, and wide, broadening one's mind and mouth, to eat from its fruit, and be satisfied by its goodness [this paraphrase of the short grace after meals relates to the advantages to be gained by authors], that it may be good for all the days, including the nights.

 

The seventh benefit:

7. And satisfy [vocalized differently, this could be read as ""shiva," seven] the desires of his soul, the hungry soul, those hungry for the bread of Torah, "to discover useful sayings" [Eccl. 12:10] of the Lord. And since I already received one list of some books, which was already alphabetically ordered, I said, I too, whoever changes detracts, and I left it alone. But I expanded and added, from whatever was before me. I made for myself sha'arim and sha'arot [presumably the masculine and feminine forms of the word for "gates'; this wordplay is based on Eccle. 2:8, that speaks of male and female singers: sharim and sharot], houses full of everything good, and doors with indexes to open. In which a place will be found for each and every subject,in its gate, house, and chamber. At times you will find a single book listed in several indexes, like the book Knesset Gedolah, the book Shenei Luhot ha-Berit, and the book Shevilei Emunah, because these books are connected to several subjects. See the second index in the right-hand door, the written Torah; in that index you will find all the books of hermeneutics and literal meanings, [where] I listed the book Knesset ha-Gedolah, and also Shenei Luhot ha-Berit, that is, in the same book you will find both expositions and literal interpretations. Not the entire book, however, consists of homilies, for they are composed of several subjects and are listed in several indexes, according to the subject of the index. Similarly, there are many books like them that speak of several subjects. And there are many books with numerous titles, for example, the concordance is called Meir Netiv, and also Or Zarua and Netivot Olam. The book Alef-Bet-Alef is called Or ha-Sekhel, and also Ma'adanei Melekh. And there are many like them. Accordingly, I listed all the titles, each in its place in alphabetical order. I will only give you this marker, as an example, in the second index of the written Torah you will find the book by R. Anschel listed with the letter (alef), and afterwards you will find Merkevet ha-Mishneh, also with the letter (alef), by which you will know that this is only a single book. Also the book Meir Netiv, Or Zarua, Netivot Olam, and a concordance, you will find marked with the letter (bet); you will thereby understand that this is a single book. `And so you will understand that everywhere you find similar letters, that this is only a single book; and likewise in all the indexes.

 

The eighth benefit:

8 "On the sheminith [a musical instrument, apparently with eight chords]. A psalm" [Ps. 12:1]. On the eighth you shall hold a solemn assembly [based on Num. 29:35], for your good and your benefit.

            If you wrote some new composition or book, and you wanted to name it and give it a name fit for it, but those singing and playing, the governor and the deputies [i.e., other authors; this wording is based on Ps. 68:26]], already preceded [in this], and it happens that they have [different] titles [but] the same subject, such as the book Moreh Tzedek, the book Masoret ha-Mikra, and the book Toledot Aharon, all being like a single book; and also the book Einei Avraham, and the book Penei Rabbah - also one book. Also Mafteah ha-Zohar, the book Mareh Kohen, and the book Petah Einayim, all being like a single book; and many [6a] like them. This could happen because one author was unaware of the other book. And likewise, this could also happen for other hermeneutical or legal-ruling subjects, for several people have the same style. And in this land, they do not know what was printed in other lands. It frequently occurs that three or four books have the same name, such as Sefer ha-Emunot, Imrei Noam, and Imrei Shefer. In my opinion, a person should distance himself, so that his book will not have a name like other earlier books. I will explain this with "good sense" [Ps. 119:66] and say: for example, when someone says, I found this topic, this literal interpretation, or this law in Sefer ha-Emunot, in the book Tzedah la-Derekh, or in the book Imrei Shefer, and he does not mention the book's author with it, we will not know from which Imrei Shefer, from which Sefer ha-Emunot, or from which Tzedah la-Derekh, and we do not know when this ruling was issued, or [we similarly will be unable to identify] this topic or literal interpretation, and there will be two reasons to be fearful, Heaven forbid. First, who knows, this could easily lead to error, with the truth being replaced. The Talmud states explicitly that the names of the sages are necessary, lest the prohibited be said to be permitted, and the like. For his people has done a twofold wrong [based on Jer. 2:13, which reads "My people"; the author uses this - slightly altered- verse as a flowery way of introducing his second reason], which causes damages, and delays the Redemption, for it is a halakhah given to Moses at Sinai that the Torah applies [Prov. 22:22] "Do not rob the wretched" to whoever does not attribute a Torah teaching. And whoever attributes something  merits the Redemption of Israel. And the third reason, which we already mentioned above, is that this could arouse the advocate to intercede for and defend him, if he mentions him [i.e., the author] by name. I therefore wrote and recorded next to the book the author's name and the name of his city, as well, or the name of his family, to remember him for good. And may his name be remembered for good, and for good may his name be remembered.

            Remember that every place where you find this form of a star(*) next to the name of the author, understand that the author is not an Israelite.

 

The ninth benefit:

9 "And the other nine-tenths to stay in the towns" [Neh. 11:1]

Every city, very land, in its own script, every people, in its own language [based on Esth. 1:22]. Gentle language and speech to women and to all, children as women, who would not understand the Bible to express it with their lips. Clear language, the language that speaks great things, the Holy Tongue [i.e, Hebrew], and the language of the Targum. "Only her lips moved" [I Sam. 1:13], and everything that has crossed her lips is the language of the entire land of Germany, with the same language for all. Also, [the author runs together two Biblical phrases, with the word ish being the last word of one and the first word of the other: "to comply with each man's wishes" - Easth. 1:8, and "A brutish man cannot know" - Ps. 92:7. Bass is referring to the writing of Jewish books in languages other than Hebrew, for two reasons: to please the public; and because some people do not understand Hebrew, and therefore know] neither knowledge nor reason; he did not know his might, the might of the war of the Torah, small and big, old man and youth, youth and the ignorant, who are not accustomed to scholarly language, but rather, in other lands each person speaks in his language; because of this, special books were composed for them in Yiddish, and in other languages, so that what they hear in their studies will be intelligible, to fill their desire, and to be pleasing to women. It is taught in the Talmud: "'The Lord gives a command; the women who bring the news are a great host' [Ps. 68:12] - every  utterance that issues from on high is divided into seventy languages." And we find that when a person dies, he is asked if he studied Torah, but he is not asked if he studied specifically in the Holy Tongue, or in other languages. Consequently, the [other] languages are equal as regards study. So that this book would not lack anything good, I will also list in a separate index those printed in Yiddish and in other languages, to the extent that this is possible. It will thereby be complete, from the Lord.

 

The tenth benefit:

10. "But while a tenth part yet remains in it" [Isa. 6:13]; ten steps; "with the ten-stringed harp I will sing" [Ps. 33:2] and say; the tenth of an ephah [a measure of volume]; an ephah they see the ten sons of "Heman [associatively drawing on the resemblance between Haman and Heman], Calcol, and Dara" [I Kings 5:11; I Chron. 2:6] - a knowledgeable generation, that knows the concealed books, that are hidden from the sight of all living; and renews the holy writings, that I did not see or did not "foind the one I love" [Cant. 3:4].

            New titles, "they are renewed every morning" [Lam. 3:23] and moment, that I did not remember, or that were not printed until after this book of mine had been printed. Accordingly, I left [space] "between the plates" [I Kings 22:34], and between each letter of the list of books I left free, blank, and empty space, so that each person could write for himself what is missing in this book. May the Lord fill what we lack, and what all Israel lacks, and fulfill our wishes, generously, with salvation and mercy.

            So that I will put my letters [i.e., theletters of his first name] in 'by my name' [be-shemi], which, by reduction [a numerological technique], is yud [= 10]; my name, Shabbetai, also is yud by reduction. This is two times ten, which are twenty, which has the numerical value of [the letter] khaf. And khaf, spelled out [khaf-peh = 20 + 80, too, by reduction, is yud [= 10]. And yud, spelled out [yud-vav-dalet = 10 + 6 + 4] is the number 20, which is khaf. Behold, you have before you, "in my name" and  "Shabbetai" are connected to one another like the yud with [the next letter] khaf.

            Therefore, I have built for myself a house with a great gate through which to enter it. I erected two doors in it, to be the doors of the gate (which means, that the pages of the book, that resemble doors [daltot], should open and close, as it is said, "And every time Jehudi read three or four columns [daltot]" - Jeremiah 36[:23]). I called the right-hand door: The Written Torah; and the left-hand door: The Oral Torah. And each door has ten indexes. [6b]

 

            The right-hand door is the Written Torah, with ten indexes, corresponding to the Ten Commandments, since the entire Torah is embodied in them. And a single commandment is listed in each letter. See the book (Shenei Luhot ha-Berit) page 316. And in the ten indexes you will find all the names of the portions from the Bible, with their accompanying commentaries: everything pertaining to the Written Torah, all the commentators, homilies, and literal interpretations, in which I also included indexes for prayerbooks, grammar books, Biblical genealogies, and tales, and the other things that you will see in detail, God willing.

            The left-hand door is the Oral Torah, and it, too, has ten indexes. In the ten indexes you will find all the names of the six Orders of the Mishnah, all the tractates, and their chapters, with their commentaries; the entire Babylonian Talmud, and the Palestinian [Talmud], with their commentaries; and all the interpretations and novellae on the Talmud: Rashi's commentary, Tosafot, all the laws, and practices, and all the sugyot [discursive units] of the Talmud; all the responsa; everything that belongs to the oral Torah; geometry, astronomy, philosophy, and other wisdoms; and books of the fundamentals of faith.

            I named this book Siftei Yeshenim, because the two lips are called two doors, and see Sefer Shorashim, root dalet, as follows: "[The letter] taf is missing from al dal sifatai," meaning :al delet sifatai. It is called door, because they open and close like a door; see there especially. I therefore called it Siftei Yeshenim, for it is like daltei yeshanim, for the two doors of these gates. I will speak further, and here is the reason: for the one who peruses and reads in this book will recall the holy ones in this land who sleep in their graves and rest on their beds, who will awaken, respond, and gently move their lips; they will come and tell of his righteousness, to commend and to protect him, as above. Accordingly, this book is their actual lips.

            I will speak further, giving the reason. I found in Sefer ha-Rokeah, as follows: Everyone must write his name on his book. He therefore called his book Roke'ah [the letters of which: resh, kuf, het] have the numerical value [of the Hebrew letters forming the name] Eleazar [the first name of the author, R. Eleazar ben Judah of Worms], and he brings many proofs from many books. Consequently, I called this book Siftei Yeshenim, "since My name is in him" [Exod. 23:21]. My name is overlapping with it, because the letters of siftei and my name, Shabbetai [in which only the letter peh is exchanged by the letter bet], are like the same word [pronounced in a certain] accent, since the peh and the bet are from the same source, from the letters bet-vav-mem-peh [the four labials], and are exchanged one with the other.

            I will continue yet again, to gather the rest of my people at the last gate [a woerdplay based on she'ar (rest of) and sha'ar, which are similarly sounding, but with different spellings (the former with an alef, and the latter with an ayin) and meanings], which is the gate of Bath-rabbim [see Cant. 7:5; literally, the gate of many], which is the index at the end of the book for all the names of the authors who appear in this book, how many times each is mentioned, on which page, how many works he composed, and in which year this was, arranged alphabetically. Know, however, that every place where you will find letters [i.e., representing years] between two half-brick signs like this (), this teaches of the years of the author's life. For example, in the letter alef, [for the entry] Ibn Sina [= Avicenna], it is written (dalet-dalet-taf-yud). This comes to teach that he lived in the year four thousand, eight hundred and ten [= 1050 CE]. And likewise for all of them. And every place where there is a mark in numerical letters that are called [in Arabic] sifra, such as (alef [the acronym for R. Abraham Ibn Ezra]), you will find his name mentioned on page 1, page 3, and on page 6 twice, in numbers 124 and 130; and similarly, on page 37, numbers 12 and 21. Likewise, every place that you will find a listing in numerical letters, that is sifra, they indicate that that author is found on the page once, twice, or three times. And in that same gate you will find the names of the Tannaim and Amoraim in an alphabetical entry, copied from Sefer Yuhasin. After this, the order of the leading sages of the generations of the Tannaim and the Amoraim, our masters the Savoraim, and the Geonim, copied from the book Tzemah David; recite them each day, as above.

            Now, here are reasons hidden with me in praise of the order of the gate, the sections of the doors, and the indexes, what and wherefore I divided and ordered them in this order. I did not wish to [write] at length regarding this, so as not to exhaust the reader in the Introduction. And the eyes of all will behold what is right [based on Ps. 17:2], and let each one's eyes look forward at these things, and may we merit to speedily gather the dispersed, Amen.

[7a]

            This is the gate of the Lord, with two doors for the Temple and the holy.

the Written Torah - the right-hand door, with ten indexes [that are arranged by the acrostic] Siftei Yeshenim [i.e., the letters of these two words appear, in order, among the initial letters of the following ten paragraphs].

            The names of all the portions, and the chapters, from Torah, Prophets, and Writings, some with the commentaries.

Books of interpretation of the words of the Bible, some in the Judeo-German [Yiddish] language and in Judeo-Spanish [Ladino]; interpretation of the words of the Targumim; on the Zohar; books of commentaries on the Bible; commentaries that follow the order of the verses of the Torah; books of Kabbalistic commentaries in the order of the Torah; commentaries on the Zohar; books of philosophic commentaries on the Torah; books of grammatical commentaries on the Torah; books of commentaries on Ibn Ezra, on ha-Mizrahi [= R. Elijah Mizrahi], on the Rabbot midrashim, and on the commentary of Rashi; books of literal interpretations and homilies that follow the order of the weekly Torah portions. After that, a commentary on the Megillot [the books of Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther] as a whole, and afterwards on each one; on the Prophets and Writings; and books of homilies and literal interpretations, ordered by topic, or by subject, and not following the order of the Torah.

            Prayerbooks, books of tikhines [prayerbooks for women in Yiddish] and bakashot, and zemirot, with accompanying commentaries; books of poems and rhymes; book of commentaries on the prayers; books that are on the Passover Haggadah; books that are necessary for scribes of Torah scrolls, tefilin, and mezuzot, and the scribes of writs, ketubot [marriage contracts], gittin [writs of divorce], and the like; and books of epistles and books on rhetoric.

 

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            Books of genealogies and tales; tales from the history of the world, [beginning] from Adam, from the Torah, Prophets, and Writings; matters pertaining to geography, and roads; and books of parables and flowery language.

            Books on the unity of God; [on] the intents of the prayers and of laws; and Kabbalistic books that do not follow the order of the Torah, but are ordered only by subject or by section.

            Books of roots of the Holy Tongue [i.e.,] grammar, and the cantillation signs, that are ordered unlike the order of the Torah; books of the Masorah; and books on logic.

            Books on salvations and consolations, good tidings, and the resurrection of the dead and redemption; books concerning the World to Come, and matters pertaining to the soul.

            Books of versions, and glosses on all the books in the Written Torah, and the Oral Torah.

            Books of the fear [of God] and piety; and books of ethical teachings, and matters pertaining to repentance.

            Books of indexes and references to the verses of the Bible; and books of references from midrashim, homilies, and aggadot.

 

The Oral Torah: the left-hand door

in which are ten indexes, and their [that are arranged by the acrostic] SShabbetai Meshorer Bass [i.e., the letters of the three words of his name appear, in order, among the initial letters of the following eleven paragraphs].

 

 

            The names of the six Orders of the Mishnah and all the tractates, their chapters, and all the discursive units of the Babylonian Talmud, and of the Palestinian [Talmud].

            Books of explanations of the mishnayot; explanations, novellae, and pilpulim [casuistic explanations] of the Talmud, Rashi's commentary, and Tosafot; books of commentaries on the book Ein Yaakov, and other aggadot; and all the books of commentaries on Avot.

            Books of algebra, which is the wisdom of numbers; measurements; the accounting of solstices and the appearances of the new moon; and the incalation of leap years; all the books of astronomy, which is the wisdom of heavenly [bodies], and the course of the stars, astrological signs, and celestial spheres; books of philosophy, that are not ordered following the order of the Torah, but only by topics or sections; books of palmistry; and of physiognomy; and books of fortunes, and telling the future; and matters concerning demons, spirits, and sorcery; dreams and their interpretations; books of the wisdom of melody, that is called music, and musical instruments.

            Books of the fundamentals of faith and the Thirteen Tenets [of faith], and other casuistry or disputes regarding faith.

 

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            Books of customs and laws, and books of indexes and references, to find laws and customs.

            Books of responsa on laws and decisors; and riddles and their solutions.

            Books of human medicine, and the nature of man and beast, animals, and fowl, and the qualities of precious stones.

            Books of acronyms, numerology, and acrostics.

 

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            Books of explanations and legal novellae, that follow the order of the Talmud, or the order of Alfasi's book; books of legal decisions that follow the order of the Turim, [books that are] on the Shulhan Arukh, and on the Levushim; explanations that follow the order of Maimonides; books of legal decisions following the order of the commandments; and books of legal decisions and laws that are arranged by separate topics, some of which are connected only to some laws from the Turim.

            Books of sugyot [discursive units] and rules of the Talmud; books of the building and vessels of the Temple, and the Tabernacle; [of] musical instruments; books published in Yiddish and other languages; books teaching of the order of study  of the Bible, Talmud, and the like; and for books which do not belong to these indexes, I arranged an index at its end.

[7b]

            "Wisdom cries aloud in the streets" [Prov. 1:20], and "wisdom is for the man of understanding" [Prov. 10:23]. I found in the introduction to the book Duties of the Heart, as follows:

Wisdom is divided into three parts: (1) the wisdom of created things. This is concerned with the essential and incidental properties of material bodies. (2) the wisdom of applied knowledge; this comprises the wisdoms of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. (3) the wisdom of theology, which is the knowledge of God, blessed be His name, the knowledge of His Torah, and the other subjects that can be apprehended by the intellect, such as the soul, the intellect, and spiritual beings.

            And in the book Mussarei Filosophim [by Hanin ben Ishak], as follows:

Aristotle stated concisely what the wise man should teach his students: in the first year, writing; in the second, to translate and compose with proper grammar and write poetry; in the third, the wisdom of religion; in the fourth, the wisdom of arithmetic; in the fifth, the wisdom of astronomy and ethics; in the sixth, the knowledge of the stars; in the seventh, the wisdom of medicine; in the eighth, the wisdom of music; in the ninth, the wisdom of logic; in the tenth, the wisdom of philosophy, which is the wisdom of the supernal letters, and it includes all the other wisdoms.

            In the book Berit Menuhah, chapter 11, on the verse [Isa. 33:6]: "And He will be the stability of your times [emunat itekha], [abundance (hosen) of salvation (yeshu'ot), wisdom (hohmay), and knowledge (va-da'at); the fear of the Lord is His treasure]":

Emunah alludes to number; itekha alludes to astronomy; hosen alludes to geometry; yeshu'ot alludes to music, as it is said [II Kings 3:15]: "Now then, get me a musician," and may the spirit of God be upon him; hokhmah alludes to ethics; va-da'at alludes to nature; "the fear of the Lord is His treasure" alludes to the divine wisdom.

            As their dictum, The heads of the sections [of knowledge pertaining to heavenly visions] may be taught only to the head of the court, etc. My eyes behold every precious thing [based on Job 28:10], to copy and set before you the division of the wisdoms, according to what I found here and there in books.

            For the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and even in the manner that "your brother came with guile" [Gen. 27:35; i.e., he hints that the Gentiles stole wisdom from the Jews]:

1. The wisdom of grammar, which is called in the Latin language grammatica, which is the wisdom of grammar, to speak and write in pure language. it is divided into three parts: noun, verb, word.

2. The wisdom of rhetoric, which is the wisdom of composition in flowery and diverse language.

3. The wisdom of higayon, which is called dialectics or logic. The word higayon comes from the wording hagah be-ruho [derived by his own intellect]. This is the labor that a person performs with his speaking and thought, following the intellect, to separate the true from the false.

4. The wisdom of arithmetic: the wisdom of the number and calculation, which contains two parts, integers and fractions.

5. The wisdom of tishboret, which is called geometry or algebra. This is the wisdom of the measure and geometry, or the wisdom of measuring a state [i.e., areas], a city, and water, lands, one from another, and from heaven to earth; and the units of measure.

6. The wisdom of tekhunah, or the wisdom of the stars, that is called astrology or astronomy: the wisdom of the course of the orbs, the heavens, the stars, and the signs of the Zodiac.

7. The wisdom of song and melody, which is music, and the movements of the notes, ascending, descending, and alternating.

8. The wisdom of philosophy, which is a Greek word meaning love of wisdom, from which the noun philosopher is derived. See the Introduction to the book [= the Guide of the Perplexed]. It comprises all of the wisdoms together within a single circumference. it also includes the details of ethics:

part (a): ethics, which are the character traits that should govern a person's behavior;

(b) economic, which are the traits with which to behave with the members of one's household.

(c) this is the wisdom of state, which is politics: knowing the affairs and customs of lands, and wielding power.

9. The wisdom which is called mathematics. and it includes geometry, to know the measure by sight, how big is every thing and object in the world.

10. The wisdom of nature, which is called physics, of all the physical and natural matters.

11. The wisdom of medicine, to know illnesses and cures, and to know to operate on the limbs and sinews.

12. The divine wisdom, which is called theology or metaphysics: the spiritual matters pertaining to the angels and divinity, and other spiritual matters.

13. We have yet another marvelous wisdom, which is called the wisdom of Kabbalah. It comprises the five partzufim [divine countenances], the ten Sefirot, and some wisdoms that are divided into two parts. The first part is called theoretical wisdom. And the second part is the practical one, which is called the practical Kabbalah.

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