Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
- (-) Remove manuscript filter manuscript
- (-) Remove manuscripts, filter manuscripts,
- signatur (43) Apply signatur filter
- book (38) Apply book filter
- chassidut (38) Apply chassidut filter
- earli (14) Apply earli filter
- illustr (8) Apply illustr filter
- genizah (6) Apply genizah filter
- leav (6) Apply leav filter
- orient (6) Apply orient filter
- rabbi (5) Apply rabbi filter
- rebb (5) Apply rebb filter
- letter (4) Apply letter filter
- musician (4) Apply musician filter
- musicians, (4) Apply musicians, filter
- philosoph (4) Apply philosoph filter
- scientist (4) Apply scientist filter
Sidrei Taharot is an original, comprehensive and brilliant work on Tractate Kelim. Since there is neither Babylonian nor Jerusalem Talmud on Tractate Kelim, the author compiled a kind of "Gemara". The center of the page is occupied by the text of the Mishnah, followed by all the teachings of the Babylonian Talmud, Jerusalem Talmud and Midrashim pertaining to that Mishnah. The text of the Mishnah and Talmud is flanked by two commentaries from the author and compiler – one lengthy and one brief. The lengthy commentary is a discussion of the opinions of the Rishonim and Acharonim on the topic, and the brief commentary is a concise explanation of the words. The work is structured in a similar style to that of the Talmud – each Mishnah is followed by the word "Gemara", and the text even parallels the typography of the Talmudic tractates (the body of the text, in square typeface, occupies the center of the page, and is flanked by a brief commentary similar to Rashi on one side, and a lengthier commentary replicating Tosafot, on the other – both in Rashi script. Ein Mishpat and Masoret HaShas are printed in the margins). A great controversy arose at the time surrounding this work. Some of the rabbis of Vilna published a statement opposing the work, as a matter of principle, concerned that a composition so closely resembling the Gemara might eventually be mistaken as an integral part of the Talmud. On the other hand, the work earned the approbations of many of the leading Torah scholars of the generation. Due to the opposition it engendered, the heading "Sefer Sidrei Taharot" was added at the top of each page of Part II, with a notice at the foot of each page that the work is "compiled from the teachings of the Tana'im and Amora'im" (see in more detail in Kedem Auction 70, sidebar near item 165).
A folded plate at the end of the book features a map of Eretz Israel, showing the borders of the land. Stamp of the author on the plate: "Gershon Chanoch Henich Leiner, son of the holy rabbi of Izhbitza".
Many ownership inscriptions on the title page and back endpaper of "the Chassid R. Yitzchak son of R. Toviah Naftali Hertz Glickman", attesting that he was a Chassid of the author Rebbe Gershon Chanoch Henich, and listing the lineage of R. Yitzchak Glickman up to R. Yonah Nachum Katz brother of the Shach, and his father-in-law R. Shmuel Kaidanover author of Birkat HaZevach.
[10], 540, 543-544 pages + [1] folded plate (map). 37 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor wear and small marginal tears to first and final leaves. Marginal creases to some leaves. Map in overall good condition. Stains, primarily to upper part of map. Small tears to some folds and small tear to edge of map, without loss, repaired. Handwritten inscriptions. New binding.
Stefansky Chassidut, no. 434.
Two title pages. Book title and place of printing in red ink. lithographed signature of the author on leaf [3].
This book is renowned as a segulah book, as the author states in his preface: "This book Magen Avraham… will be a protection to whoever studies it… I hereby bless whoever takes this book, that many kindnesses will reach him, and the G-d of Avraham will come to your assistance to fulfill all your wishes, sons and grandsons planted around your tables…". He further writes: "With the help of G-d… my words made a great impact on the hearts of those who truly listened, and brought many to repentance…".
The Sfat Emet reputedly stated that it is incumbent upon every young Torah scholar to pawn his Rabbenu Tam Tefillin in order to purchase the book Magen Avraham by the maggid of Turisk (foreword to the Jerusalem 2006 edition; see also: Milin Kadishin, Jerusalem 2008, p. 487).
[3], 3-47, 36; 114 leaves. 25.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Minor wear to some leaves. Worming, primarily to first and final leaves, affecting text. Stamps and handwritten inscriptions. Old binding, with wear and worming.
Part II of this book ends with leaf 113. There are copies ending on leaf 114, with differences in contents and typography at the end (see Kedem auction 49, item 53).
Complete set in three volumes.
Approbation by Rebbe Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta and other approbations at the beginning of vol. I.
Ownership inscriptions of the wealthy R. Shaul Papierna of Poritch and his family. On the endpaper of vol. I: "Shaul Papierna of Poritch". On the endpaper of vol. III: "The prominent R. Shaul son of R. Noach Papierna, Poritch". Other inscriptions in Russian. At the top of all three title pages, inscription forming the acrostic: "Shimon Papierna".
Three volumes. Vol. I: [4], 251; 17 leaves. Vol. II: [1], 17, 19-278 leaves. Vol. III: [1], 2-115, [1], 117-309 leaves. Approx. 21 cm. Bluish, high-quality paper. Overall good-fair condition. Many leaves in good condition. Stains, including dampstains to many leaves in vol. III. Worming to first and final leaves, affecting text. Handwritten inscriptions. Bookplates. Early leather bindings, worn, with tears and significant worming. Vol. II with cloth spine. Front board of vol. III partially detached; spine torn (mostly lacking).
Letter found in the Cairo Genizah, from Salama son of Yosef al-Haruni of Ramla, addressed to "the Chaver" Shemaya Abu Faraj in Bab al-Maghara (the Cave Gate) in Jerusalem. [Ramla, May 1054]. Judeo-Arabic.
Complete letter. Ink on paper. One leaf, written on both sides. Oriental script.
The letter was written at the end of the Geonic era in Eretz Israel, at the time when the Rishonim era had already begun in other Torah centers (as an indication, at the time this letter was written Rashi was a youth of 14 years). The letter mentions two Geonim who served as heads of the Yeshiva of Eretz Israel: the Gaon Daniel ben Azariah (mentioned in the letter with the title "the Head") and the Gaon Eliyahu HaKohen (the Yeshiva of Eretz Israel, or Yeshivat Geon Yaakov, served from the 6th century until the 12th century as the center of authority and leadership for the Jews of Eretz Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt).
The present letter contains a wealth of information. The letter centers around the request of the writer, Salama HaKohen son of Yosef al-Haruni of Ramla, from "the Chaver" Shemaya Abu Faraj, to collect on his behalf the money he had lent to the tradesman Abu Sa'id Khalfa "the Maghrebian", son-in-law of Yachye al-Ammani, since the repayment of the loan was overdue. He relates at length how the loan, which in fact was a business partnership, came about: he had met Abu Sa'id while the latter was travelling from Jerusalem to Ramla on his way to Ashkelon, and gave him five dinars to trade with until the end of the year (the civil year), and later return the principal along with part of the profits. He adds that they drew up an official contract between them in the presence of "the Head" – the head of the Yeshiva (the Gaon Daniel ben Azariah). Abu Sa'id travelled from there to Ashkelon, purchased wares and brought them to Jerusalem. When he returned to Ramla, he informed Salama that he had profited one dinar over the past months, but didn't have the money available to repay him. He promised to repay the loan when he would next be in Ramla, after Passover. Meanwhile, that time had passed and Salama asks Shemaya, who was in Jerusalem, to collect the loan on his behalf. Before stating his request, Salama expresses his pain over the difficulties Shemaya was experiencing (perhaps with his son's illness), and also discusses other topics, which indicate that he was actively involved in matters of the Head of the Geon Yaakov Yeshiva, and served as intermediary between him and various people in Ramla.
The name of the sender is not known from other documents, however the name of the recipient – "the Chaver Abu Faraj Shemaya" – is mentioned in other documents found in the Genizah: Abu Faraj Shemaya the Chaver Ibn Faraj (son of Yeshua) was the grandson of R. Shemaya Gaon, who lived at the beginning of the 11th century and served as Head of the Geon Yaakov Yeshiva in Jerusalem. The name of one of the sons of the recipient, Avraham son of R. Shemaya the Chaver, appears in a document dated 1116 in Fustat, Egypt, and one can assume that this letter reached the Cairo Genizah through him.
The letter also mentions: "the Head" – in reference to the Head of the Geon Yaakov Yeshiva, R. Daniel ben Azariah; R. Yosef [HaKohen], Av Beit Din in the Geon Yaakov Yeshiva (d. December 1053); and R. Eliyah "the Third" (R. Eliyahu HaKohen Gaon, who succeeded R. Daniel ben Azariah as Head of the Yeshiva in 1063). See below for more information about the Av Beit Din R. Yosef HaKohen, his brother R. Eliyahu HaKohen Gaon and the dating of this letter.
Also mentioned in the letter are Ibn al-Hasan Amar the physician (from the Karaite community in Ramla), Abu Ali Ibn al-Dabbab, and other figures.
Researchers differ regarding the address of the recipient – Bab al-Maghara: the name "Cave Gate" may refer to Zedekiah's Cave, close to Damascus Gate, though according to another opinion, "the Cave" was the appellation of the main synagogue in Jerusalem and the hub of the Jewish quarter in those times.
[1] leaf. 13X16 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Tears and wear, slightly affecting text.
The letter was part of the collection of Prof. Bernard (Eliezer Dov) Chapira (1880-1967). In 1910-1912, Chapira participated in the expeditions which the Société des études juives in Paris sent to Egypt, and on behalf of the researcher and collector Jacques Mosseri. During these expeditions, they discovered and catalogued thousands of fragments from the Geniza, which had been left by Sh.Z. Schechter. Most are found in the Mosseri collection, the largest private collection in the world of Genizah fragments, and some were sold to the National Library in Jerusalem.
The present letter was published by Chapira in 1953, in the anthology Yerushalayim: Review for Eretz-Israel Research, in his article: A Letter from Ramle to Jerusalem of the Middle of the Eleventh Century (enclosed). His article contains for the first time a transcription of the letter in Judeo-Arabic, full translation to Hebrew and information about the names and details mentioned therein. When it was published again by the historian Moshe Gil in 1983, Gil dubbed the letter "MS Chapira 1", and stated that the original manuscript was not available.
Literature:
1. Michael Ish-Shalom, Meir Benayahu, Azriel Shohet (editors), Yerushalayim: Review for Eretz-Israel Research. Jerusalem: Rabbi Kook Foundation, 1953. Pp. 118-122.
2. Moshe Gil, Palestine During the First Muslim Period (634-1099), Part III, Cairo Geniza Documents. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University and the Ministry of Defence, 1983. Pp. 319-322.
3. Joshua Prawer, The History of Jerusalem: The Early Islamic Period (638-1099) [Vol. I]. Jerusalem: Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi, 1987. Pp. 40, 45-46, 63, 143.
4. Moshe Gil, The Jewish Quarters of Jerusalem (A.D. 638-1099) According to Cairo Geniza Documents and Other Sources. In: Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 41, No. 4 (October 1982). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Pp. 265, 271-272.
Last Geonim of Eretz Israel – The "Lions Who Dwell in Jerusalem" Who Corresponded with Early Torah Scholars of Ashkenaz
"R. Eliyah the Third" mentioned in this letter is R. Eliyahu HaKohen Gaon (d. 1083), son of R. Shlomo HaKohen Gaon (the first), and father of R. Eviatar HaKohen Gaon, author of Megillat Eviatar; all three of them served as heads of the Geon Yaakov Yeshiva in Eretz Israel. They were members of a family of Kohanim who trace their lineage to R. Elazar ben Azariah. R. Eliyahu Gaon was one of the last Geonim in Eretz Israel, in the times of Rashi.
"R. Yosef Av Beit Din" mentioned in the letter was the brother of R. Eliyahu HaKohen Gaon. He served as Av Beit Din of the Yeshiva, the second highest office after the Yeshiva Head.
R. Eliyahu is named "the Third" in this letter, since at the time of its writing, he held the third highest ranking position in the Yeshiva, after "the Head" R. Daniel ben Azariah and "the Second" R. Yosef HaKohen, the Av Beit Din. R. Yosef passed away on Chanukah 1053, and therefore when R. Daniel passed away (in 1062), R. Eliyahu succeeded him as Head of the Yeshiva (regarding the hierarchy in the Yeshiva and the titles of its heads, see: Moshe Gil, Palestine During the First Muslim Period [634-1099], Part I – Studies, Tel Aviv, 1983, p. 417).
Researchers established the date of this letter based on the fact that the writer requests that the loan be collected in the presence of R. Eliyahu "the Third", seeming to indicate that R. Yosef HaKohen was no longer alive.
Rashi's disciples refer to R. Eliyahu and his son R. Eviatar as "lions who dwell in Jerusalem" (see for instance Machzor Vitri, Goldschmidt edition, Part III, p. 709), and the latter responded to questions R. Meshulam son of R. Moshe of Mainz sent to them on several topics, such as what one should eat on Erev Pesach which falls on Shabbat (the responsum was published in REJ, 73, 1921, pp. 84-92; see also: Avraham Grossman, Chachmei Ashkenaz HaRishonim, pp. 391-392).
In 1071, Eretz Israel was conquered by the Seljuks and the Geon Yaakov Yeshiva was compelled to relocate to Tyre, where R. Eliyahu served as Head of the Yeshiva until his passing.
R. Eviatar, son of R. Eliyahu and his successor as Head of the Yeshiva, was the last Gaon of Eretz Israel. He composed Megillat Eviatar, where he describes his tribulations and the affairs of the Geon Yaakov Yeshiva. He also portrays there the great honor accorded to his father R. Eliyahu upon his passing:
"He passed away in Kislev 1083 in Tyre, and the Jewish people carried him on their shoulders rather than on horses for a three-day journey to the mountain of the Galilee, to Dalton, where he was buried at the top of the mountain near R. Yose HaGelili, in proximity of Yonatan ben Uziel, Hillel and Shammai, Elazar ben Arach and Elazar ben Azariah our ancestor and many other Tzaddikim, and the Jewish people throughout Eretz Israel, Syria and the Diaspora eulogized him, tore their clothes, wore sackcloth and sat on the ground, since their crowning glory had been removed from their heads".
(For further detail about R. Daniel ben Azariah, the Geonim from the family of Kohanim and the history of the Yeshiva in that period, see Gil, ibid, pp. 583-606).
Ramla – A Torah Center During the Fatimid Rule in Eretz Israel
During the Fatimid rule in Eretz Israel, Ramla became the capital of the Filastin (Palestine) district (which also included Jerusalem). It was a large and prominent city, home to a Jewish community and Torah center. As it lies on the route to Jerusalem, it served as a gathering point for pilgrims, and at certain times boasted a larger Jewish population than Jerusalem. In the 1020s, the Geon Yaakov Yeshiva relocated for a time from Jerusalem to Ramla, and at various points some of the Torah scholars and heads of the Yeshiva of Eretz Israel resided in Ramla.
• Manuscript leaf (2 pages), Aggadat Tefillat Shemoneh Esreh Brachot. [The Orient, 12th/13th century]. Semi-square Oriental script.
Section from an Aggadah on the Amidah prayer, based on an interpretation of the verse: "A prayer for a poor man when he enwraps himself and pours out his speech before G-d" (Psalms 102, 1). This work probably belongs to Geonic literature. The present leaf contains a parallel text to the one published by A. Jellinek, Beit HaMidrash V, pp. 54-56, with textual variations.
[1] leaf. 23 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Open tears and damage, affecting text, professionally restored.
Description based on a report (enclosed) by Mr. Shlomo Zucker, expert on Hebrew manuscripts.
• Two manuscript leaves (four pages), from an early, unknown philosophical composition. [The Orient, ca. 13th century]. Semi-cursive Oriental script.
This may be a section of a composition on the Rambam's Moreh Nevuchim. The author challenges the Aristotelian perception that there is no providence in this world, and supports the Rambam's opinion according to which there is providence "over the human race only". His explains this position at length, yet also criticizes it. The author later quotes the Baal HaMalmad, in reference to the work Malmad HaTalmidim by R. Yaakov son of R. Abba Mari son of R. Shimon son of R. Anatoli (a Provence Torah scholar in the 12th-13th centuries, son-in-law of R. Shmuel ibn Tibbon).
[2] leaves. Approx. 23 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Open tears and damage, affecting text, professionally restored.
Description based on a report (enclosed) by Mr. Shlomo Zucker, expert on Hebrew manuscripts.
• Manuscript leaf (two written pages), fragment from an early siddur, with Hoshanot, including an unknown piyyut by R. Moshe Ibn Ezra. Semi-cursive and semi-square Oriental script. [Ca. 12th/13th century].
The first page contains a Hoshanot piyyut by R. Saadia Gaon. The piyyut on the second page is an acrostic spelling out Moshe ben Ezra. This piyyut is not known from any other source.
[1] leaf. Approx. 13 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Open tears and damage, affecting text, professionally restored.
Description based on a report (enclosed) by Mr. Shlomo Zucker, expert on Hebrew manuscripts.
• Manuscript leaf (two written pages), section of Qisat Esther (the story of Esther in Judeo-Arabic). Semi-cursive Oriental script. [Ca. 13th century].
[1] leaf. 20 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Open tears and damage, affecting text, professionally restored.
Description based on a report (enclosed) by Mr. Shlomo Zucker, expert on Hebrew manuscripts.
• Manuscript leaf (written on one side), section of a kabbalistic homily about the Creation of the world. [The Orient (Egypt?), ca.14th/15th century]. Oriental script.
Section of a homily by an unidentified writer. The writer relates to the writings of the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim, and criticizes him as having no understanding of Kabbalah.
[1] leaf. 24 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Open tears and damage, affecting text, professionally restored.
Description based on a report (enclosed) by Mr. Shlomo Zucker, expert on Hebrew manuscripts.
• Two manuscript leaves, sections of Hilchot HaRif. [Spain, ca. 14th century]. Semi-cursive Sephardic script, with marginal glosses (some in semi-cursive Sephardic script and some in cursive script).
A section from chapter 9 of Tractate Berachot, and a section from chapter 3 of Tractate Chullin. Textual variations in comparison with printed editions.
[2] leaves. 22 cm and 15 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Open tears and damage, affecting text, professionally restored.
Description based on a report (enclosed) by Mr. Shlomo Zucker, expert on Hebrew manuscripts.
• Manuscript leaf, section of a halachic composition in Judeo-Arabic. [The Orient, presumably Egypt, ca. 13th century]. Semi-square Oriental script.
Mr. Shlomo Zucker, in his report (enclosed), suggests that this is a Karaite Halachic work, since it contains a Karaite term.
[1] leaf. Approx. 20 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Open tears and damage, affecting text, professionally restored. Text faded and partly difficult to decipher.
Description based on a report (enclosed) by Mr. Shlomo Zucker, expert on Hebrew manuscripts.
Neat, early Yemenite script, partly with supralinear vocalization. The scribe integrated commentaries and laws in separate columns or in-text "windows". Additional glosses appear in the margins with commentaries and laws by other writers.
The manuscript includes: pre-service prayers and piyyutim; weekday prayers; prayers for year-round Shabbatot; Pirkei Avot (with commentary); prayers and piyyutim for Motzaei Shabbat; prayers for Rosh Chodesh; prayer for Passover nights and Passover Haggadah (with commentaries and laws); prayer for Passover and Shavuot; prayer for fast days and Tisha B'Av; Megillat Eichah and lamentations for Tisha B'Av; prayers for the High Holidays and Sukkot; Hoshanot (with commentary); piyyutim for Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah; order for Chanukah (with commentary) and Megillat Bnei Chashmona'i; Purim prayer (with commentary); eulogies; El Melech and Maranot selichot (selichot piyyutim for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur night, opening with "El Melech" and "Maran"); Yom Kippur service (by R. Avraham ibn Ezra); Keter Malchut – by R. Shmuel[!] ibn Gabirol; selichot for the month of Elul; Birkat HaMazon (with commentaries); order of blessings, Brit Milah and Pidyon HaBen; laws of mitzvot (in Judeo-Arabic); order of leap years and Tekufot calendars.
The Tekufot calendars begin from the year 5397 (1636-1637), hence the date of the manuscript.
Piyyut in late script on p. [131b], signed at the end: "Shimon Tzalach".
[281] leaves. Approx. 20 cm. Lacking several leaves at beginning and end of siddur. Condition varies, fair-good. Stains, including dampstains and dark stains (wine and food stains), wear and tears. Open tears to several leaves, affecting text, repaired with paper. Worming to some leaves. New binding with leather spine.
Neat, early Yemenite script, with supralinear and sublinear vocalization. The scribe incorporated commentaries and laws in separate columns or in-text "windows". In the margins, additional glosses with commentaries and laws, by other writers. Calendar of Moladot for 1702-1769.
The present siddur was written by two scribes. The final page features a colophon by the second scribe, R. Shlomo Hamami, who writes that the siddur was begun by R. Shmuel son of R. David Chamitz, and he completed it: "This siddur was completed with beauty and splendor… on Thursday, 20th Tevet 1703, in Bir al-Azab… was written in the name of… Me'oded son of Saadia HaLevi al-Najar… commenced [by] R. Shmuel son of R. David Chamitz, and completed [by] Shlomo son of R. Saadia son of David son of Yonah HaLevi al-Hamami…". The Bir al-Azab neighborhood, adjacent to Qā' al-Yahud (the Jewish quarter), was allotted to the Jews by the king after they returned from the Mawza exile in 1677-1678.
This manuscript was examined and described in detail by Moshe Gavra in Chachamim VeSofrim BeTeiman BaMe'ah HaShemonah Esreh (Bnei Brak, 1996, pp. 142-146); he writes:
"The siddur comprises 215 leaves with supralinear vocalization, as customary in Yemen in those times. The siddur was commissioned by R. Meoded son of Saadia HaLevi al-Najar. The siddur includes the commentary composed by R. Y. Wanneh, yet it isn't consecutive and the commentary bears various headings: 'Hagahah', 'Perush', 'Chiddushin', 'Hasagah' and others. Based on the headings and the layout of the siddur and customs, it appears to me that the scribes copied one of the first editions of R. Y. Wanneh's Siddur Chiddushin, rather than the last edition… the customs mentioned in the siddur are closer to the structure and text that the Maharitz adopted in his siddur Etz Chaim, and they conform with the first editions of the siddur written by R. Y. Wanneh, before the printed siddurim and books of kabbalah influenced R. Y. Wanneh's siddur.
A damaged sale contract dated 1723 appears at the beginning of the manuscript.
On p. [42b], contract recording the sale of the siddur in 1753 to Avraham son of Musa al-Arusi, who purchased it from Musa son of Sa'id al-Aziri, signed by the witnesses, R. "Yichye son of R. David", R. "Salam ibn Abraham" and R. "Suleiman ibn Madmun".
In various places in the manuscript, ownership inscriptions and signatures, and death records of members of the Karavani family, a prominent family of rabbis from al-Tawilah, Yemen.
[209] leaves. 30 cm. Condition varies, most leaves in good-fair condition. Stains, including dark dampstains (wine stains) to some leaves. Marginal wear and tears. Open tears (including large tears) to several leaves, affecting text. Marginal open tears to many leaves. Paper repairs. Worming to a few leaves. Rebound. Early leather binding, with leather loop closures.
Gavra notes that this manuscript comprises [215] leaves. The additional leaves, containing later additions from various periods (Tekufah calendars for 1770-1922, and more), were removed when the manuscript underwent restoration and was rebound.
The letter was sent to French writer, philosopher and musicologist, Édouard Schuré, shortly after Wagner's famous antisemitic essay, "Judaism in music", was first published under his full name (the essay has been published previously under a pen name), and a month before Wagner's opera Rienzi premiered in Paris.
In his letter, Wagner relates to his essay "Judaism in music" (which he sent his addressee together with the letter), and expresses his antisemitic worldview: "You will learn much from it [from the essay]… in particular you will see that I… am not dealing with the French public, but rather with German Jews. If you would only ask who these gentlemen in Figaro [a leading French daily newspaper] are, you will see that they all have these certain Jewish German names such as Wolf, Hirsch, Bär".
Wagner also mentions the French poet and writer, Judith Mendès (daughter of the famous novelist Théophile Gautier), whose visit in his home several month later in summer 1869 (together with her husband, French-Jewish poet Catulle Mendès) commenced their longstanding relationship. He concludes his letter by asking Schuré to convey his greetings to Mr. and Mrs. Mendès, adding: "if my letter appears in La Liberté please send me four copies of it" (presumably in reference to the letter Wagner sent Judith Mendès in February 1869 about the Rienzi opera, for publication in La Liberté; the letter was published on March 10, a day after the present letter was written).
Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813-1883), a leading German composer in the 19th century. His works, which were considered original and revolutionary in his times, furthered the musical language of opera, and of classical music in general.
Wagner was known for his antisemitic views, which were most sharply expressed in his essay Judaism in Music (Das Judentum in der Musik) – a venomous diatribe against European Jews and their culture, describing the negative impact of Jewish culture on German culture, the artistic failure of prominent Jewish composers (especially criticizing the compositions of Mendelssohn and Meyerbeer), and the only possible solution, in his mind, for Jews: "only one thing can redeem you [Jews] from the burden of your curse… total destruction" (this declaration, which concludes the essay, is seen by some historians as one of the precursors of German antisemitism in the 1930s and 1940s).
Wagner first published this essay in 1850, under the pen name K. Freigedank (K. Freethought), after he was exiled from Germany for his part in the 1848 revolutions. Only in 1869, after he returned to Germany and became a protégé of King Ludwig II, did Wagner republish the essay in an expanded version under his full name.
[1] leaf, folded in two (three written pages). 18.5 cm. Good condition. Folding marks and minor stains.
The present letter was written towards the end of WWII, when Einstein was residing in Princeton, U.S.A., and discusses the idea of establishing a "supranational agency" – a global government – an idea which Einstein promoted for many years as a means to achieving world peace.
In his letter, Einstein thanks Dr. Held for the booklet he sent him, writing: "I find it to be not bad, although under the current circumstances psychologically misguided. Even if under the current circumstances the prospects of creating an effective supernational agency are indeed slight, it nonetheless seems to me quite dangerous to work journalistically to cripple such aspirations. Since, if one stops halfway, the next world war is already certain today. This is all the more the case when modern technological development evermore induces the preemptive war, as the surprise attack is far superior to the defense".
With the words "modern technological development", Einstein presumably alludes to the atomic bomb, which was by then in advanced stages of development within the top-secret Manhattan Project (the letter was written some seven months before the American atomic bombs were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki). According to Einstein, in the balance of terror in which the most effective defense is a surprise attack, it is necessary to
establish an effective supranational organization which will impose peace between the nations and prevent the next war, where the new, highly destructive weapon is bound to be used (approximately six months after Einstein wrote this letter, the Charter of the United Nations – the foundational treaty of the United Nations – was signed).
Einstein's attitude towards the atomic bomb was, in certain respects, ambivalent. As a pacifist he opposed war with all his being and aspired to totally abolish the idea of a nation state, which, by its mere existence, he held, made war inevitable. Nonetheless, as a pragmatist he saw Germany's arming with nuclear weapons as a threat to humanity, and believed that the Allied powers must precede it in obtaining the atomic bomb. This line of thinking led him to sign, alongside the physicist Leo Szilárd, a letter sent in 1939 to President Roosevelt (the Einstein-Szilárd letter), informing the American administration of the latest discoveries in the field of energy generation through nuclear fission, and the military potential of this new technology, and raising the concern that Nazi Germany may be working on developing its own atomic bomb. This letter resulted in the establishment of the Manhattan Project, where the first American atomic bombs were developed. Einstein later expressed his regrets of having signed this letter. In 1946, he founded together with Szilárd the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists to warn the public of the dangers associated with the development of nuclear weapons, and in 1955, shortly before his death, he signed the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, which also discussed the threats posed by nuclear weapons and called for world leaders to seek peaceful resolutions to international conflicts.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955), one of the most influential physicists in the 20th century, creator of the Theory of Relativity and the one who laid the foundations for the theory of quantum mechanics; Nobel prize laureate. Einstein was born in Ulm, southern Germany, studied in Switzerland and served as professor in various universities, including the Friedrich Wilhelm University (today named Humboldt University) in Berlin. Apart from his scientific research, Einstein was involved for many years in political efforts to promote organizations committed to international cooperation, which would lead to the eradication of wars. In 1914, he signed the pacifist manifesto Aufruf an die Europäer (Appeal to Europeans), and in the 1920s he was a member of the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. With the Nazi rise to power in 1933, he renounced his German citizenship and settled in the United States, where he was offered a position in the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ. He remained there until his death on April 18, 1955.
The recipient of the letter is Isidore William Held (1876-1947), a Jewish, Austrian-born medical doctor. Held studied in Philadelphia, Berlin and Vienna, wrote many medical monographs and translated medical works from German to English. He worked for many years as a physician in the Beth Israel hospital in New York, and was active in the local Jewish community. He was active in assisting Jewish doctors and scientists who escaped Nazi Germany to the United States, and it was presumably in that framework that he became acquainted with Einstein. After Held's passing in 1947, Einstein wrote to his widow: "As a role model for his fellow men he was the best that a human being can be".
See: Aufbau, Reconstruction, an American Weekly Published in New York, Vol. XIII – No.10, New York, Friday, March 7, 1947.
[1] leaf. 28 cm. Good condition. Folding marks. Minor marginal tears. Minor stains to lower part of leaf. Inscription on verso.
Brief letter – invitation to Marie Curie's laboratory. Signed: "M. Curie".
Marie Curie (1867-1932), a Polish-French physicist, prominent 20th century scientist, winner of two Nobel Prizes and the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize.
Curie was born in Warsaw, then a part of the Russian empire, as Maria Skłodowska. Her father, a teacher of mathematics and physics, lost his position due to his support of Polish independence, and the children were raised in poverty. Unable to enroll in a regular higher education institution because she was a woman, Curie began her academic career in the Flying University – an underground educational enterprise, offering clandestine evening courses. At the age of 24, she was the first female student to be accepted to the Sorbonne, and she relocated to Paris where she resided in an attic near the university to save on travel expenses. Despite the difficulties, and her sparse knowledge of the French language, she finished her studies with distinction and earned a scholarship for chemistry research. This allowed her to begin working in the laboratory of The City of Paris Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Educational Institution (ESPCI), directed by the physicist Pierre Curie.
Pierre and Marie's collaboration led to one of the most important discoveries in the history of science – radioactivity. They were married in 1895. The following years were some of the most productive and important years of their scientific careers, and it was then that Marie discovered two hitherto unknown chemical elements – polonium (named after Curie's home country – Poland), and radium (named after the Latin word radius – ray of light, for its fluorescence). Despite her husband's standing, Curie was forced to conduct some of her experiments in a shed outside the laboratory, so as not to "distract the men" working in the laboratory.
In 1903, the Nobel Committee for Physics decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics to the Curies for their research on radiation (they had originally intended to award the prize to Pierre alone, yet he refused to accept it unless they included Marie), and Curie became the first woman to be awarded a Nobel prize. Eight years later, in 1911, the Nobel Committee decided to award Curie a second prize in Chemistry, for her discovery of two elements (Curie is one of the only four Nobel laureates awarded two Nobel prizes, and the only person ever awarded a Nobel prize in two different fields).
Curie is also renowned for her contribution in the field of medicine, when she was appointed head of the Red Cross Radiology service and operated mobile X-ray units to help wounded soldiers (dubbed "petites Curies" – little Curies). Her young daughter, Irène, operated the mobile X-ray units, and was awarded a military medal for her assistance in the battlefield. She later continued her parents' research on radioactivity and won a Nobel Prize herself.
Marie Curie died in 1934, presumably from long-term exposure to radiation. Her name and story were commemorated in countless films, books, names of institutes and organizations, and in the name of an element – curium.
14X10.5 cm. Good condition. Inscriptions penciled on verso.