Printed emissary letter for the emissary of the Hebron community, R. Chaim Avraham Yisrael Ze'evi. [Livorno, 1784]. Italian.
Leaf printed on both sides, with the name of the philanthropist completed by hand [Emanuel Roseli]. The leaf begins with the translation of the emissary letter issued by the community of Hebron on 10th Sivan 1782, signed by the rabbis of Hebron.
The letter is followed by authorizations by the Hebron officials in Constantinople, dated 3rd Adar I 1783, and by a letter of recommendation by the Chida, a colleague and relative of R. Chaim Avraham Yisrael Ze'evi, written in Livorno, 3rd Cheshvan 1783. The leaf was presumably printed shortly thereafter, alongside another version of this leaf – in Hebrew (original language of the letters).

R. Chaim Avraham Yisrael Ze'evi, a Hebron Torah scholar. Travelled to Europe on two missions on behalf the Hebron community, the first to Ashkenazic countries, where he built close ties with the Chida in Amsterdam, and a second time also to Italy (1782–1789), for which this leaf was printed.

[2] pages. 32 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Stains.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 057.011.049.

Handwritten emissary letter, signed and stamped by the leading rabbis of Jerusalem, R. Avraham Ashkenazi the Rishon LeTzion, and R. Meir Panigel. [Jerusalem, ca. 1860s–1870s].
Semi–cursive Oriental script (Rashi script), with emphasized words in square calligraphic script. Written for R. Nissim Yisrael Sasson, emissary of Kollel Hebron and the Magen Avot yeshiva, leaving on a mission for Tripoli and the surrounding villages (Libya).
R. Avraham Ashkenazi (1811–1880), prominent Torah scholar, Rishon LeTzion of Jerusalem. His opinion was conclusive on communal matters in Jerusalem and throughout the world.
R. (Refael) Meir Panigel (1804–1893), Rishon LeTzion and Chacham Bashi of Jerusalem. Born in Bulgaria, he was raised in Jerusalem. Already in his youth he was known as a holy, righteous person and wonder–worker. He succeeded R. Avraham Ashkenazi as Chacham Bashi in 1880.

[1] double leaf. 39.5 cm. Good–fair condition. Stains and tape stains (tape on verso). Tears. Folding marks.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 057.011.015.

Der Gantze Jüdische Glaube [The Whole Jewish Belief], by Antonius (Anton) Margaritha. Augsburg: Heinrich Steyner, 1530. German (and some Hebrew). First edition, first issue (March 1530); printing details from the colophon.

An anti–Semitic, polemic work by the apostate Anton Margaritha (1492–1542), a descendant of a well–known family of rabbis in Germany; son of R. Shmuel Margolies Rabbi of Regensburg and grandson of R. Yaakov Margolies Rabbi of Nuremberg. Several in–text woodcuts, including woodcuts depicting Jews at the synagogue (after woodcuts printed in Johannes [Josef] Pfefferkorn's book 'Ich heyß ain büchlein der juden peicht' [Augsburg 1508]).
The work claims to expose the true face of Judaism, mocks Jewish customs and makes serious accusations against the Jews. Margaritha warns his Christian readers against having contact and trading with Jews, cautions them not to consult with Jewish physicians and portrays a negative picture of the Jewish Sabbath and the custom of using a "Sabbath Gentile". One of the worst allegations targets the political loyalty of the Jews, who are portrayed as treacherous subjects and supporters of enemy countries, headed by the Ottoman Empire.
This work deeply affected Martin Luther, who was inspired by it to write his anti–Semitic book "On the Jews and Their Lies".
Alongside its wide influence on anti–Semitism in early modern history, the book is also considered a valuable source of information about the daily life of Jews and their customs during that period. This work includes, among others, the first translation of the Jewish prayer book for a non–Jewish readership (see: Between Judaism and Christianity(ies), between Ethnography and Polemic: Antonius Margaritha's Writing on the Kabbalah in 'The Whole Jewish Belief' [Hebrew], by Daniel Lehmann).
The grim accusations against the Jews made by Margaritha in this book led to a public debate, conducted in 1530 before the Imperial Committee, that convened in the Reichstag of Augsburg, in the presence of Emperor Karl V. Margaritha's opponent in this debate was the well–known Jewish lobbyist Rabbi Joseph ben Gershon of Rosheim (Joseph Loanz). After Joseph ben Gershon refuted Margaritha's claims against the Jews, Margaritha was banished from Augsburg.

[199] pages (gatherings A–Z4, a–b4). 19.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Creases and minor wear. Minor tears. Marginal open tears to final leaves, repaired with paper, with minimal damage to text. Stamps of the Berlin Jewish library on a few leaves. Inscriptions and glosses. New parchment binding.

Exhibition:
• Glaubensfragen: Chatrooms auf dem Weg in die Neuzeit, Ausstellungskatalog des Ulmer Museums und des Museum of the Bible, Felicitas Heimann-Jelinek, David Trobisch and Gabriele Holthuis. Ulm, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2016, p. 66-67.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, NHB.331.