Auction 25 - Gemarot with Handwritten Glosses by The Vilan Gaon and other rare and unique items
Decorated Manuscript on Parchment – Arvit Prayer and Sfirat HaOmer – Moravia, 18th century
Opening: $5,000
Sold for: $8,125
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript on parchment, containing the "Arvit" prayer and "Seder Sfirat HaOmer" with "LaMenatze'ach" Menorah. Central or Eastern Europe [Moravia?], [17/18th century.]
Nice, square scribe script, with vowelization. The first word of each paragraph is in a larger font, sometimes in colorful or gilded ink. In some places colorful decorations of leaves and flowers encircle the letters.
The manuscript contains the complete "Arvit" prayer (Ashkenazi version), with several additions, most probably reflecting the praying customs of a West or Central European congregation. Most of the additions are written following "Aleynu LeShabe'ach", as follows: Three Psalms (chapters 24, 8, 29); five additional verses for the five weekdays (Sunday-Thursday; chapters 25, 32, 38, 51 and 86), said during the days when one prays "Tachanun" (with the instruction, "Ven man takhne zogt den zogt man mizmorim ayle").
"Seder Sfirat HaOmer," with the "Sfirot" according to the Kabbalah, for each day, with the psalm "LaMenatze'ach BaNeginot" in the shape of a Menorah; a whole page is dedicated to every two days of the Omer days! Following the Counting of the Omer appears a detailed "Seder Viduy" (including "Al Cheth"), and then the psalms "Shir HaMa'alot MiMa'amakim" and "LeDavid Hashem Ori." Psalms 1-2 and 4 – which are read by some before going to sleep appear on the first two leaves of the manuscript. (Possibly these leaves are out of place and were erroneously bound at the beginning of the manuscript.)
In place of the "VeLaMalshinim" benediction, a piece of parchment is pasted, of a later date, with a different version of the benediction, correcting a shorter version that existed in the original manuscript.
Adding Psalms after the "Arvit" prayer was a custom in some West European congregations (see attached material), but reciting the "Viduy" (confession) in synagogue during the "Arvit" prayer is known to have been customary only in very few communities in the East (see attached material). It is not clear whether the "Viduy" herein was written as part of "Arvit," but it proves that such a custom existed, maybe as a single custom in an Ashkenazi community. Alternatively, perhaps, it was written only for the sake of recitation according to the custom of the "Mekubalim" during "Kriyat Shma before going to sleep," which does not appear in the manuscript.
This manuscript, in which appears the Counting of the Omer according to the Kabbalah together with the "LaMenatzeach" Menorah, is typical of the 1600s in the period following the influence of Ha'ari. During this period, the writing of "Kavanot" in the Siddur of the Mekubalim in Ashkenaz was common.
Thirty-seven parchment leaves. 18 cm. Good-fair condition, with some staining, wear and creases. Damages to the text borders on some of the leaves. Tear and folds to first leaf.
Nice, square scribe script, with vowelization. The first word of each paragraph is in a larger font, sometimes in colorful or gilded ink. In some places colorful decorations of leaves and flowers encircle the letters.
The manuscript contains the complete "Arvit" prayer (Ashkenazi version), with several additions, most probably reflecting the praying customs of a West or Central European congregation. Most of the additions are written following "Aleynu LeShabe'ach", as follows: Three Psalms (chapters 24, 8, 29); five additional verses for the five weekdays (Sunday-Thursday; chapters 25, 32, 38, 51 and 86), said during the days when one prays "Tachanun" (with the instruction, "Ven man takhne zogt den zogt man mizmorim ayle").
"Seder Sfirat HaOmer," with the "Sfirot" according to the Kabbalah, for each day, with the psalm "LaMenatze'ach BaNeginot" in the shape of a Menorah; a whole page is dedicated to every two days of the Omer days! Following the Counting of the Omer appears a detailed "Seder Viduy" (including "Al Cheth"), and then the psalms "Shir HaMa'alot MiMa'amakim" and "LeDavid Hashem Ori." Psalms 1-2 and 4 – which are read by some before going to sleep appear on the first two leaves of the manuscript. (Possibly these leaves are out of place and were erroneously bound at the beginning of the manuscript.)
In place of the "VeLaMalshinim" benediction, a piece of parchment is pasted, of a later date, with a different version of the benediction, correcting a shorter version that existed in the original manuscript.
Adding Psalms after the "Arvit" prayer was a custom in some West European congregations (see attached material), but reciting the "Viduy" (confession) in synagogue during the "Arvit" prayer is known to have been customary only in very few communities in the East (see attached material). It is not clear whether the "Viduy" herein was written as part of "Arvit," but it proves that such a custom existed, maybe as a single custom in an Ashkenazi community. Alternatively, perhaps, it was written only for the sake of recitation according to the custom of the "Mekubalim" during "Kriyat Shma before going to sleep," which does not appear in the manuscript.
This manuscript, in which appears the Counting of the Omer according to the Kabbalah together with the "LaMenatzeach" Menorah, is typical of the 1600s in the period following the influence of Ha'ari. During this period, the writing of "Kavanot" in the Siddur of the Mekubalim in Ashkenaz was common.
Thirty-seven parchment leaves. 18 cm. Good-fair condition, with some staining, wear and creases. Damages to the text borders on some of the leaves. Tear and folds to first leaf.
Rare and Important Items
Rare and Important Items