Derekh ish yashar : manuscript. between 1821 and 1822.
דרך איש ישר : המלמד לאדם דעת איך יתנהג כל ימי חייו לעצמו ולאחרים.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Dodsley, Robert, 1704-1764, attributed name.

Contributor:

Dodsley, Robert, 1704-1764.

Van Oven, Abraham, -1778, translator, author of introduction.

Arakie, Elazar Aharon, (Cohen), former owner.

Arakie, Samuel Elazar, 1854-1916, former owner.

Language:

Hebrew

Subjects (All):

Buddhism--China--Tibet Autonomous Region--Ethics--Texts.

Buddhism.

Tibet Autonomous Region (China)--Social life and customs.

Tibet Autonomous Region (China).

Conduct of life.

Maxims.

Jewish ethics--Early works to 1800.

Jewish ethics.

Ethics--China--Early works to 1800.

Ethics.

Jews--India--Kolkata--19th century--History--Sources.

Jews.

Genre:

Codices (bound manuscripts)

copies (documents)

adaptations (literary works)

calligraphy (visual works)

Penn Provenance:

Formerly owned by Elazar Aharon Arakie Cohen (signature, f. 1r).

Formerly owned by Samuel E.[lazar] Arakie (blue stamp, f. 1r).

Sold at Genazym Auctions, auction 7 (June 30, 2020) lot 44.

Physical Description:

54 leaves : paper ; 145 x 95 (93 x 78) mm bound to 148 x 100 mm.

Production:

[כלכתה], תקפ"ב.

[Kolkata], 5582 [1821 or 1822].

Other Title:

Derekh yashar

דרך ישר

Place of Publication:

between 1821 and 1822.

Language Note:

In Hebrew.

Summary:

This is a manuscript copy of the Hebrew printed edition of "Economy of human life", adapted from the work attributed to Robert Dodsley (1703-1764; London bookseller and writer; other attributions exist for different portions of the work, including John Hill (1714?-1775)), who claimed to have derived it from Tibetan Buddhist philosophy (from conversations with the Tibetans and from a manuscript in a Tibetan monastery) on the commission of the Chinese emperor. This manuscript was copied from an adaptation of the work into Hebrew by Abraham Van Oven (died 1778; edition printed London 1778 by Alexander Alexander), and the title page features a manuscript copy of the complete imprint (f. 1r). This copy was written likely by a member of the Arakie family in Kolkata, India, in 5582 (1821-22). The work is comprised of seven parts, such as ideals for the individual (part one, including humility, calm, asceticism (describing the "San Ṭen Hoi" Tibetans, f. 8r) and patience), ideals in relations to females (part 3) and relatives (part 4) and the single unique God (part 7). Written in an eastern cursive script (text), and section titles written in a Sephardic square script; division names written in an eastern calligraphic square script. Quarter bound in calfskin on blue boards.

Contents:

1. f.3v-4r: Haḳdamot

2. f.4v: Yishuv ha-daʻat

3. f.5r: ʻAnaṿah

4. f.5v: She-lo le-hotsi ha-zeman le-vaṭal'

5. f.6r: Le-hanot bi-ḥokhmat aḥerim

6. f.6r-v: Hashgaḥah ʻal ha-ba

7. f. 6v-7r: Le-sevol roaʻ ha-zeman

8. f.7r-v: Le-śemoaḥ be-ḥelḳo

9. f.7v-8v: Le-ḥiot bi-mezeg

10. f.8v-9r: Meha-tiḳṿah ṿeha-mora

11. f.9r-10r: Meha-śimḥa ṿeha-tsaʻar

12. f.10r-v: Meha-rogez

13: f.10v-11r: Le-raḥem ʻal tsarot aḥerim

14: f.11r: Meha-ḥesheḳ ṿe-ahavah

15. f.11v-12v: Me-ḥovat ishah betulah u-veʻulah

16. f.13r-v: Ish le-ishto

17. f. 13v-14r: Av li-vanaṿ

18. f. 14r: Ben le-ʼaviṿ

19. f. 14v: Aḥim gam yaḥad

20. f.15r-v: Ḥakham ṿe-kesil

21. f.15v-16: ʻOsher ṿe-dal

22. f.16v-17r: Adon u-mesharto

23. f.17r-v: Melekh śarim ṿe-ʻamo

24. f. 18r-v: Li-heṭiv ʻim ha-kol

25. f.18v-19r: Laʻaśot mishpaṭ

26. f. 19r: Laʻaśot tsedaḳah

27. f.19v: Le-shalem gemul ule-hakir ṭovah

28. f.20r-v: Yashranut

29. f.20v-22r: Le-haʼamin ba-H. yaḥid ume-yuḥad ule-hakir romemuto.

Notes:

Title from f. 1r; romanization supplied by cataloger.

Written mention of a (likely printed) title, "פירוש הת. מהרב משה אלשיך", possibly a volume held in the Arakie family library (f. 39r).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 2073.

Related Work:

Dodsley, Robert, 1704-1764. Economy of human life. Hebrew.

OCLC:

1293990093