Archivio di Stato di Modena, Archivio per Materie, Inquisizione, Causae Hebreorum, Busta 245, Fascicolo 38 – November 5, 1626.

Excerpt from the report by Ciro da Correggio.

Commentary by R. Salomon [Rashi] on the laws; after the examination I found it [the book] expurgated in these [points], but partly still in need of expurgation; moreover, the erased parts are readable because of the faded ink.

At the beginning of the book, marked with a capital A, this rabbi explains the words of the Holy Genesis, which in Latin are: “faciamus hominem ad immaginem et simili eiusdem praesit.” The rabbi [Rashi] supposes that God argued with the angels and took advice from them, citing for this erroneous opinion the visions of the Prophet Micha to King Ahab, in the Fourth Book of Kings.

Second, following the book, in the part marked with a capital B, the rabbi commenting Exodus, 14 “Iunxit ergo carrum et omnem populum” adds an ancient formulation which sounds: the best, whose definition is associated with all of the nations by Jews, without including Christians, rather [or even if] in that way they [Christians] are usually called; the part has been expurgated, but is readable.

The third part marked with a capital C is expurgated as well, but it is possible to read where by explaining a certain verse in Exodus 22 “carnem quae a bestiis fuerit praegustata,” the rabbi [Rashi] compares each foreigner to the dog, and the rabbi says that he [the foreigner] is worse than the dog, including all the non-Jewish nations; these are my considerations regarding the first book.

Excerpt from the verbal evidence by Natanel Trabotti

Letter A

The passage was certainly expurgated, but it is also possible to read this passage in this way: God wanted to create man in our image and regarding the shape of the image He took advice from the angels.

Letter B

Rabbi Salomon writes that the best among the nations has to be killed because they were cruel, but by that he refers to the nations among Egyptians because he was precisely dealing with them.

Letter C

In that place Rabbi Salomon means that God says that the carrion should not be eaten by the Jews, but it can be sold or given to the dog or to the foreigner; in this point, Rabbi Salomon says the dog is nobler than the foreigner because God mentions the dog before the foreigner.

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