Vatican MS. Ross. 555

Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican, Vatican)

Codex

Parchment

Brown (iron-gall)

Quill

There is ruling

Grid of single vertical and horizontal lines

52

52

333

233

230

156

1435

15th Century CE

Italy, Mantova

Italy

Hebrew

No vowels or accents

Colophon: Thus was completed the work of the sacred task of writing this compilation of the Four Turim. It is entirely the work of my hands and the fingers of my hands, I, Isaac, the scribe, son of the honourable master Obadiah, may he rest in peace, whose name is also signed below.

Blessed be the God of praises, the God of tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands; may He be exalted, elevated and glorified. He has kept me alive and preserved me, granted me merit and brought me to this moment, enabling me to begin and complete this work.

After ten months, the work was sufficient, completed and brought to its conclusion, in the good and distinguished city of Forlì, on the third day of the month of Kislev, in the year 196 of the sixth millennium [5596].

Through this work and the labour of my soul, I have attained freedom. Until this day, the Awesome One, wondrous in His deeds, the Most Exalted, has greatly blessed me: He has answered me from His holy mountain, for ever.

I have written these volumes with care, honour and skill, for the benefit and honour of the illustrious and crowned with glory, the ornament of the generation of the learned, Rabbi Mordechai, the mighty and valiant, son of Rabbi Avigdor, may he rest in peace.

May God, who girds me with strength, grant me His assistance in writing them, from beginning to end, both by night and by day, until their completion.

May He increase and magnify the strength of his Torah, the spirit of his understanding, and that of his sons, born to bring him delight, precious and beautiful beyond gold, and esteemed like the finest gold. May their name endure for ever, in Torah, wisdom, and every form of knowledge and understanding, even of things concealed.

I further declare that I have received from him, in truth and in good faith, the full payment for my toil and the labour I expended on these four Turim, in full and with generosity, down to the very last coin.

And so that this declaration may remain in his possession and in that of his representatives, from generation to generation, from now and for ever, as testimony for posterity and as reliable evidence, I have written and signed this acknowledgement, as a record in the book, entirely in my own hand.

Together with these words, I make a request to the esteemed and trustworthy men of this land: the honourable Rabbi Abraham, son of the honourable Rabbi Benjamin, of blessed memory, of the Ribieri family, and the honourable Rabbi Jacob, son of the honourable Rabbi Moses, of blessed memory, son of the late Rabbi Avigdor, of Forlì.

May they hear my testimony from my own mouth, see with their own eyes my handwriting, my signature and this testimony of mine, and may they also bear witness on my behalf by adding their signatures below mine, so that their names may serve as evidence of this matter.

May each man return peacefully to his own place, for one man is separated from another, travelling in every direction, from city to city, from one country to another, and across the islands of the sea.

And all this is valid and confirmed.

Remarks
The record documents the following folios: 1–127, 128–292, 293–441.

Special pencil ruling for the parashah and the running titles. Occasionally, the ruling for the running title is also accompanied by pricking along the section that has been ruled. Special ruling (guidelines) is also present for the marginal annotations.

Below the colophon (folio 440a) there is a ownership inscription in medium Ashkenazi script. The owner's name has been erased, but can still be partially read: “... son of the honourable Rabbi Joseph, of blessed memory.”

Below this is an inscription praising the scribe and his work, written by Joseph ben Judah ben Isaac Zarek, as follows:
Inscription praising the scribe and his work
In praise and glorification of the skilfully executed work represented by these Four Turim, whose words shine at the ends of the earth like sapphires, precious stones and lights; distinguished by their many excellent qualities, their splendour and magnificence, and the excellence of their arrangement.

They serve to distinguish and separate the finest flour from the chaff, through pure words, in order to understand and teach, from generation to generation. Their merits are beyond counting.

The script is an open and finely executed hand, engraved like a seal by the right hand of a swift scribe; it shines like the radiance of the firmament. It is the handwriting of Rabbi Isaac, son of Rabbi Obadiah. May the Lord protect him, preserve his life and grant him prosperity in all things upon the earth; may He bless him with wise and discerning sons, skilled in the art of the scribe and guardians of wisdom, for all eternity.

And the generous man, whose heart devises generous deeds, a scion of a lineage of sages, descended from ancient kings, the son of distinguished fathers and learned men from generation to generation, who rides in the chariot of the double Torah and the testimony, in order to prepare and support it, is none other than Rabbi Mordechai, the mighty and valiant, son of Rabbi Avigdor, of blessed memory.

His generous spirit moved him to spend of his own wealth, for the honour of his Creator and for the glory, splendour and greatness of this book, which offers excellent words. Nothing can be compared to it, nor does it have an equal: it is a priceless pearl, beyond all valuation.

May He to whom belong riches and honour double the reward for his toil and labour, enrich him and establish his prosperity, and grant him increasing strength, wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

May he remain steadfast in his generosity and live to see his children's children, precious as gold. May they be united, whole and valiant in the battle of Torah, like lions among their companions.

May the goodness of their character and the perfection of their knowledge become known and celebrated; may He direct the wealth of the earth towards them, so that they may draw from and drink the sweet wine of the pomegranates of the exalted Torah, which shall be their occupation, for the benefit of all those who come to seek shelter beneath the shadow of their wisdom, and of their children and grandchildren, for ever.

And I, who have witnessed this, together with all those who draw near to behold the grace of this heavenly work, believe that we must praise and proclaim the glory of this book, its mighty deeds and the beauty of its worth, for its path is perfect.

It conforms to the law and the ordinance, and from it instruction is derived, in accordance with the law and the Halakhah; it is preserved in every respect and properly arranged.

Therefore, today, I have resolved in my heart to enter the field of eloquence, so that the forest of my discourse and words may bear fruit, and that I may go forth to hunt and bring back my prey.

I am the youngest in my father's house, Joseph, son of Rabbi Judah, son of Rabbi Isaac Zarek, the NaTSiVY. I write these words on the day on which these four Turim were completed, written and signed, and the book brought to its conclusion.

This took place after ten months, on the third day of the month of Kislev, in the year 196 of the minor reckoning [5596].

Therefore, may everyone who sees this book bestow honour and praise upon the book, its owner and its scribe, and listen to these words of mine, for they are pleasant.

https://sfardata.nli.org.il/#/manuscript/0E176 (Date accessed: 2026-11-04)

990001129960205171

https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/itempage?vid=KTIV&scope=KTIV&docId=PNX_MANUSCRIPTS990001129960205171&SearchTxt=ross.%20555,AND (Date accessed: 2026-11-04)

https://digi.vatlib.it/mss/detail/Ross.555 (Date accessed: 2026-11-04)

Hebrew Manuscripts in the Vatican Library; Catalogue, ..., edited by Benjamin Richler, palaeographical and codicological descriptions by Malachi Beit-Arié in collaboration with Nurit Pasternak. Città del Vaticano, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 2008 (Studi e Testi 438).