Moíś Ḥaƀiƀ's Editorial Endeavors?: Elmanceƀo sin culpa, by Sami Namar (Constantinople, 1923)

Abstract

The body of knowledge currently available on Sephardic literature has expanded exponentially over the past few decades, as an increasing number of studies have undertaken historical, literary, and linguistic analyses of previously unpublished works. The case examined in this article likewise seeks to address one of the many lacunae that persist in the field: El manceƀo sin culpa by Sami Namar (Jewish National Press, Constantinople, 1923, 111 pages), edited by Moíś Ḥaƀiƀ. The principal objective of this study is to advance the hypothesis that—subject to further examination—this text may, in fact, constitute Ḥaƀiƀ’s fifteenth work, given the considerable similarities it exhibits with his known writings, which suggest that he may have acted not merely as editor but as its true author. Moreover, given the complete absence of biographical or bibliographical information concerning Namar, the attribution of the work to him remains open to serious doubt.