Abraham ha-Levi Segal

Born in Poland, Abraham ha-Levi Segal was a preacher in Rzeszów before leaving for Western Europe. Abraham composed a broadsheet—a single page printed on one side—for mealtimes, likely printed in Amsterdam (the place-name is not noted, but the style suggests it was printed in that city; the date is unclear). This cheap and quick printing method reduced costs and made texts available to wide audiences. Segal’s broadsheet includes fourteen ethical and ritual texts for mealtimes—to enhance the educational, religious, and joyous aspects of a meal—which are laid out in a form that resembles a set table. It does not contain the blessings before eating or grace after meals, which apparently were well known (or available in other books), but it does include the Al ha-miḥiyah blessing said after consuming wine and grains, as well as a song for mealtimes. This is a rare example of such broadsheets, few of which have survived, and offers a fascinating glimpse into eighteenth-century mealtime rituals. Segal also composed a very brief ethical work, Arba‘ she‘arim (Four Gates), printed in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe (1747).