Printer’s Introduction: Bomberg Bible, Second Edition

Thus saith the humble Jacob ben Chajim ben Isaac Ibn Adonijah: “He entereth in peace, where the righteous rest upon their couches, who walked in uprightness.”

Praised be the Creator, who exists and yet none can see him, who is hidden and yet found by every one that seeks him, who graciously bestowed language on mankind in order that they might communicate precious things joined together by wisdom, so as to become one, to gather his rain and flame, and learn his words and ways. He endowed his people, his first-born son, with the holy tongue, which is the language of the Law and the Prophets, and it is very wonderfully adapted to open the eyes of the blind, and impart light unto them, so that all the nations of the world may know that there is nothing like this holy language in purity of style and charm of diction; it is like a tree of life to those who possess it, and its wisdom imparts life to the owner thereof. Now God gave it to his people whom he had chosen for himself—gave it to them only to be concealed under the shadow of His hand; for they alone know its mysteries, its grammar, its rules, and its anomalies. And the men of the Great Synagogue, in whom was heavenly light, bright and powerful, like pure gold, on whose heart every statute of the Law was engraved, have set up marks, and built a wall around it, and made ditches between the walls, and bars, and gates, to preserve the citadel in its splendour and brightness; and they all came to the transparent cloud of its burning doctrine and rising incense; and they sanctified themselves to take the fire from off its altar, so that no other hand might touch it and desecrate it so as to become a bat for every fool; they strung together its golden words from the columns of the Word of God—words of purity; and the Spirit alighted upon them, and as if by prophecy they wrote down their labours in books, to which nothing is to be added. The princes of the people gathered together to hear their sublime words; and when they had finished their work, the supernatural vision and its source were sealed, and the glory and splendour departed, and the angel of the Lord appeared no more. For no one rose after them who could do as they did. And now we are here this day gathering the gleanings which they have left; and we capture the faint ones of their rear-guard, and run in their path day and night, and toil, but can never come up to them.

Thus says the writer: I was dwelling quietly in my house, and flourishing in my abode, prosecuting diligently my studies, at Tunis, which is on the borders of ancient Carthage, when fate removed me to the West, but did not withdraw its hand from afflicting me, and afterwards brought me to the famous city of Venice. And even here I had nothing to do, for the hand of fate was still lifted up, and exalted over me; and its troubles and cares found me in the city, smote me, wounded me, and crushed me. And after about three months of sufferings, I left for a little while the furnace of my afflictions, for I was in a thirsty land. I said in the thoughts of my heart, I will arise now, and walk about the streets of the city. As I was walking in the streets, wandering quietly, behold God sent a highly distinguished and pious Christian of the name of Daniel Bomberg, to meet me. May his Rock and Redeemer protect him! This was effected through the exertions of an Israelite, who bestowed great kindness upon me, and whose name is R. Chajim Alton, son of the distinguished Moses Alton. May his Rock and Redeemer protect him! He brought me to his printing-office, and shewed me through his establishment, saying to me, Turn in, abide with me, for here thou shalt find rest for thy soul, and balm for thy wound, as I want thee to revise the books which I print, correct the mistakes, purify the style, and examine the works, till they are as refined silver and as purified gold.

Although I saw that his desire was greater than my ability, yet I thought that we must not refuse a superior. Still I told him [Bomberg] that I did not know as much, nor nearly as much [as he supposed], in accordance with that we find at the end of chap. ii. of Jerusalem Maccoth: “A man who knows only one book, when he is in a place where he is respected for knowing two books, is in duty bound to say I only know one book.” And as I have no great intellect, how could I, being so low and insignificant, undertake such great things, from which, peradventure, mischief might ensue, seeing that R. Ishmael had already exhorted a Scribe in his days (Sota, 20a, and in other places), “My son, take great care how thou doest thy work, for thy work is the work of heaven, lest thou drop or add a letter, and thereby wilt be a destroyer of the whole world,” which is still more applicable to the present time, when the distinction between the oral and written law has ceased, as both are now written down, and a mistake may describe the right wrong, and the wrong right. Therefore, I felt that I must not rely upon my own judgement, but examine two or three codices, and follow them wherever they agree; and if they do not agree, must choose from among the readings those which appear to me unobjectionable, and sift them till I am convinced that they are correct and clear, especially as Ramban [R. Moses ben Nachman, or Nachmanides] and Rashbam [R. Samuel ben Meir] have already counselled, in their Theological Decisions, not to make emendations upon mere conjectures.