Four Editions, Four Faces, One Book: Printing the Shulan Arukh in Amsterdam, 1661-1708

Abstract

Abstract This article is a study of the reception history of the most influential Jewish legal code of the post-medieval period, Joseph Karo’s Shulan Arukh. The article examines four books printed in Amsterdam between 1661-1708, each of which consist of an edition or adaptation of the Shulan Arukh. After a historical précis of each of these, the article shows, firstly, how each represents a different understanding of the character and pedagogical and legal purpose of the Shulan Arukh, and secondly, how each of these publications reflects editorial decisions shaped by different anticipated readerships. The article then reflects on the way these editions relate to the socio-cultural contexts of Amsterdam in this period. The history of these four publications, the article concludes, helps us understand the remarkable success of Shulan Arukh as both a manual to practical Jewish life and a key to the vast library of rabbinic literature.