Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
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Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $12,500
Including buyer's premium
Shenei Luchot HaBrit (Shelah), by R. Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz. Amsterdam: Immanuel son of Yosef Athias, 1698. Engraved title page (by Avraham son of Yaakov HaGer).
Shenei Luchot HaBrit contains many halachic novellae, Kabbalistic principles, homiletics and ethics, and incorporates all realms of the Torah. The book was received with awe throughout the Jewish world, and its teachings are quoted in the books of leading poskim and kabbalists. Many renowned Chassidic leaders were extraordinarily devoted to the study of the books of the Shelah.
The Bach – R. Yoel Sirkis, notably acclaimed the author and his works in his approbation to the Shaar HaShamayim siddur: "R. Yeshaya HaLevi… left behind blessing in his holy compositions, and upon seeing or reading them, we sensed the outpouring of holiness in all our limbs, and this is the sign that his works were composed for the sake of heaven, to elevate future generations…". The Tosafot Yom Tov in his approbation to the siddur writes: "He is a holy, awe-inspiring man… no doubt he was invested with a heavenly spirit".
This edition of the Shelah was printed in Amsterdam in 1698, birth year of the Baal Shem Tov, and Chassidic lore ties these two events. The Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch writes (Igrot, 2853) of the elaborate edition of the Shelah printed in the year "Nachat" (gratification; the numerical value of 'nachat' corresponds to the Hebrew year 5458, i.e. 1698). He states that "this alludes to the heavenly gratification caused by the revelation of the holy book, and in that year the Baal Shem Tov was born". The Baal Shem Tov was used to saying that he was born in the year of the printing of the Shelah HaKadosh, in order to enlighten the world with G-d's light of Torah and fear of Heaven with service of the heart. The Rebbe Rayatz brings a wondrous tradition from R. Mendel of Vitebsk regarding the first and second editions of the Shelah: "During the printing of the Shelah… this holy book enthused and inspired the hearts of the Jewish people, drawing the Evil Eye, which brought about the infamous Chmielnicki pogroms"; "In the year the Baal Shem Tov was born, the second edition of Shelah was printed in Amsterdam, and then as well there was an accusation in heaven against the Jewish people in Poland, similar to the first accusation upon the initial publication of the Shelah, yet thank G-d, it was a year of serenity" (Likutei Diburim HaMeturgam, I, p. 50).
Ownership inscription on front endpaper: "My brother-in-law, the leader, Meir Hamburger honored me with this honorable book, Avraham Cohn Posen of Głogów" [author of Be'er Avraham, Posen 1896].
Fine, elegant copy. [4], 422; 44; [12] leaves. Approx. 32 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor wear and marginal tears to first and final leaves. Handwritten inscriptions on endpaper. Original elegant wood and leather binding, with clasp remnants. Wear, damage and worming to binding.
Shenei Luchot HaBrit contains many halachic novellae, Kabbalistic principles, homiletics and ethics, and incorporates all realms of the Torah. The book was received with awe throughout the Jewish world, and its teachings are quoted in the books of leading poskim and kabbalists. Many renowned Chassidic leaders were extraordinarily devoted to the study of the books of the Shelah.
The Bach – R. Yoel Sirkis, notably acclaimed the author and his works in his approbation to the Shaar HaShamayim siddur: "R. Yeshaya HaLevi… left behind blessing in his holy compositions, and upon seeing or reading them, we sensed the outpouring of holiness in all our limbs, and this is the sign that his works were composed for the sake of heaven, to elevate future generations…". The Tosafot Yom Tov in his approbation to the siddur writes: "He is a holy, awe-inspiring man… no doubt he was invested with a heavenly spirit".
This edition of the Shelah was printed in Amsterdam in 1698, birth year of the Baal Shem Tov, and Chassidic lore ties these two events. The Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch writes (Igrot, 2853) of the elaborate edition of the Shelah printed in the year "Nachat" (gratification; the numerical value of 'nachat' corresponds to the Hebrew year 5458, i.e. 1698). He states that "this alludes to the heavenly gratification caused by the revelation of the holy book, and in that year the Baal Shem Tov was born". The Baal Shem Tov was used to saying that he was born in the year of the printing of the Shelah HaKadosh, in order to enlighten the world with G-d's light of Torah and fear of Heaven with service of the heart. The Rebbe Rayatz brings a wondrous tradition from R. Mendel of Vitebsk regarding the first and second editions of the Shelah: "During the printing of the Shelah… this holy book enthused and inspired the hearts of the Jewish people, drawing the Evil Eye, which brought about the infamous Chmielnicki pogroms"; "In the year the Baal Shem Tov was born, the second edition of Shelah was printed in Amsterdam, and then as well there was an accusation in heaven against the Jewish people in Poland, similar to the first accusation upon the initial publication of the Shelah, yet thank G-d, it was a year of serenity" (Likutei Diburim HaMeturgam, I, p. 50).
Ownership inscription on front endpaper: "My brother-in-law, the leader, Meir Hamburger honored me with this honorable book, Avraham Cohn Posen of Głogów" [author of Be'er Avraham, Posen 1896].
Fine, elegant copy. [4], 422; 44; [12] leaves. Approx. 32 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor wear and marginal tears to first and final leaves. Handwritten inscriptions on endpaper. Original elegant wood and leather binding, with clasp remnants. Wear, damage and worming to binding.
Category
Miscellaneous Books
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $5,000 - $10,000
Sold for: $5,000
Including buyer's premium
Toldot Shimshon, commentary on Tractate Avot, by R. Shimshon Chaim son of R. Nachman Michael Nachmani, an Italian Torah scholar and kabbalist. Livorno, 1766. Segulah book for longevity and plentiful livelihood.
The author named the book Toldot Shimshon after his only son passed away childless, and he viewed this work as his only progeny. He writes in his preface about his son's passing and blesses whoever studies his books with "ultimate good, longevity and abundant livelihood": "Since unfortunately, in Av my beloved eldest and only son passed away, and again I have not merited to bear lasting offspring… and this will be my name and remembrance… Toldot Shimshon… be printed so that my brothers, friends and students carry my name on their lips and my name will be remembered for good… with ten expressions of prayer I implore them, and the One who recompenses will repay them with ultimate good, longevity and abundant livelihood to those who do kindness…". Twelve years later, he published his book Zera Shimshon, which as its name suggests was also intended to serve as his progeny. In the preface of Zera Shimshon, he once again asks that his book be studied in his merit, promising that "The One who repays will recompense you… with the threefold blessing of offspring, life and abundant livelihood", adding: "And your eyes will witness sons and grandsons like olive shoots around your table, wise and intelligent, and houses full of goodness, neither wealth nor honor will cease from your descendants…".
In recent years, there has been increasing recognition and awareness of the Zera Shimshon, and many accounts have been publicized of couples who were blessed with children in the merit of studying his book. These stories were recorded in the Niflaot Shimshon leaflets and later in Kovetz Sipurei Yeshuot printed at the end of the new edition of the book (published by the Association for Spreading the Teachings of the Zera Shimshon, Arad 2015).
[3], 120 leaves (including leaf in Italian at beginning of book). Lacking [3] leaves of index at end. 20 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains and ink stains (ink stain on p. 19b, affecting several characters of text). Minor worming on several leaves. Open tears to final leaf, affecting text, professionally restored with paper and photocopy replacement. Minor damage to text near inner margins of several leaves, due to binding. Old binding.
The author named the book Toldot Shimshon after his only son passed away childless, and he viewed this work as his only progeny. He writes in his preface about his son's passing and blesses whoever studies his books with "ultimate good, longevity and abundant livelihood": "Since unfortunately, in Av my beloved eldest and only son passed away, and again I have not merited to bear lasting offspring… and this will be my name and remembrance… Toldot Shimshon… be printed so that my brothers, friends and students carry my name on their lips and my name will be remembered for good… with ten expressions of prayer I implore them, and the One who recompenses will repay them with ultimate good, longevity and abundant livelihood to those who do kindness…". Twelve years later, he published his book Zera Shimshon, which as its name suggests was also intended to serve as his progeny. In the preface of Zera Shimshon, he once again asks that his book be studied in his merit, promising that "The One who repays will recompense you… with the threefold blessing of offspring, life and abundant livelihood", adding: "And your eyes will witness sons and grandsons like olive shoots around your table, wise and intelligent, and houses full of goodness, neither wealth nor honor will cease from your descendants…".
In recent years, there has been increasing recognition and awareness of the Zera Shimshon, and many accounts have been publicized of couples who were blessed with children in the merit of studying his book. These stories were recorded in the Niflaot Shimshon leaflets and later in Kovetz Sipurei Yeshuot printed at the end of the new edition of the book (published by the Association for Spreading the Teachings of the Zera Shimshon, Arad 2015).
[3], 120 leaves (including leaf in Italian at beginning of book). Lacking [3] leaves of index at end. 20 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains and ink stains (ink stain on p. 19b, affecting several characters of text). Minor worming on several leaves. Open tears to final leaf, affecting text, professionally restored with paper and photocopy replacement. Minor damage to text near inner margins of several leaves, due to binding. Old binding.
Category
Miscellaneous Books
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $1,500
Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000
Sold for: $1,875
Including buyer's premium
Derech Chochmah, by R. Moshe Chaim Luzzatto – the Ramchal. Amsterdam, [1783]. First edition.
The book includes four compositions by the Ramchal, printed here for the first time (individual title page for each work): Derech Chochmah – clarification of the purpose of life, the way of attaining it and the correct course of study (presented as a dialogue between a teacher and his disciple); Maamar al HaHaggadot – the correct approach to aggadic literature; Maamar HaIkarim – explanation of general topics: Torah and mitzvot, prophecy and providence, reward and punishment, and more; Maamar HaChochmah – explanation of Rosh Hashanah prayers, Passover seder, reincarnation and kabbalistic principles.
The book was brought to print by R. Betzalel Binyamin Meili HaKohen, some forty years after the passing of the author, based on a manuscript in the possession of R. David Franco-Mendes. Foreword and poem in honor of the author on p. [5b], by Franco-Mendes.
R. Moshe Chaim son of R. Yaakov Chai Luzzatto – the Ramchal (1707-1746), a leading Torah scholar of all generations, an exceptional, G-dly kabbalist, who benefitted from revelations of Eliyahu HaNavi and angels – Maggidim from heaven, whose teachings he recorded in his book Zohar Tinyana (second Zohar). He authored Mesillat Yesharim and many other compositions on Kabbalah and ethics. Despite the polemic surrounding him in his times, the Ramchal was accepted throughout the Jewish world. Reputedly, the Gaon of Vilna stated that had the Ramchal been alive in his times, he would have walked on foot all the way to Italy to greet him. The Maggid of Mezeritch attested that the Ramchal's generation was not worthy of grasping the extent of his righteousness and asceticism (publisher's foreword to Klach Pitchei Chochma, Korets 1785). His book Mesillat Yesharim is the most widely studied musar text in Batei Midrash today.
Fine copy, with ornamented leather binding.
Inscription at top of first title page: "Sumbel סונבאלl 1788". Many markings and several glosses (including lengthy glosses) throughout the book.
[5], 5; [1], 3; [1], 7; [1], 10 leaves. 17.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Marginal wear and creases to some leaves. Old, gilt-decorated leather binding, with new leather spine (binding restored and book rebound).
The book includes four compositions by the Ramchal, printed here for the first time (individual title page for each work): Derech Chochmah – clarification of the purpose of life, the way of attaining it and the correct course of study (presented as a dialogue between a teacher and his disciple); Maamar al HaHaggadot – the correct approach to aggadic literature; Maamar HaIkarim – explanation of general topics: Torah and mitzvot, prophecy and providence, reward and punishment, and more; Maamar HaChochmah – explanation of Rosh Hashanah prayers, Passover seder, reincarnation and kabbalistic principles.
The book was brought to print by R. Betzalel Binyamin Meili HaKohen, some forty years after the passing of the author, based on a manuscript in the possession of R. David Franco-Mendes. Foreword and poem in honor of the author on p. [5b], by Franco-Mendes.
R. Moshe Chaim son of R. Yaakov Chai Luzzatto – the Ramchal (1707-1746), a leading Torah scholar of all generations, an exceptional, G-dly kabbalist, who benefitted from revelations of Eliyahu HaNavi and angels – Maggidim from heaven, whose teachings he recorded in his book Zohar Tinyana (second Zohar). He authored Mesillat Yesharim and many other compositions on Kabbalah and ethics. Despite the polemic surrounding him in his times, the Ramchal was accepted throughout the Jewish world. Reputedly, the Gaon of Vilna stated that had the Ramchal been alive in his times, he would have walked on foot all the way to Italy to greet him. The Maggid of Mezeritch attested that the Ramchal's generation was not worthy of grasping the extent of his righteousness and asceticism (publisher's foreword to Klach Pitchei Chochma, Korets 1785). His book Mesillat Yesharim is the most widely studied musar text in Batei Midrash today.
Fine copy, with ornamented leather binding.
Inscription at top of first title page: "Sumbel סונבאלl 1788". Many markings and several glosses (including lengthy glosses) throughout the book.
[5], 5; [1], 3; [1], 7; [1], 10 leaves. 17.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Marginal wear and creases to some leaves. Old, gilt-decorated leather binding, with new leather spine (binding restored and book rebound).
Category
Miscellaneous Books
Catalogue
Auction 78 - Rare and Important Items
May 25, 2021
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000
Sold for: $1,250
Including buyer's premium
Maaseh Rav, practices of the Gaon of Vilna, by R. Yissachar Dov Ber of Vilna. Vilna and Horodna, 1832. First edition.
Two title pages.
First edition of one of the important books regarding the customs of the Gaon of Vilna. Approbations by R. Chaim of Volozhin, R. Avraham Abele of Vilna and R. Avraham Danzig, author of Chayei Adam. The book records the customs and rulings of the Gaon of Vilna, based on the personal testimonies of his disciples. The book was compiled and published by R. Yissachar Dov Ber of Vilna, who based himself on what he personally observed, and on a testimony handwritten by R. Saadya, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna, who did not depart from the presence of his teacher for many years (see Kedem Auction 76, item 162, Hebrew sidebar).
[3], 67 pages. Approx. 19 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Marginal open tears to title pages and other leaves, repaired with paper. Worming, affecting text, repaired in part with paper. Two detached leaves. Stamps (stamp on p. 21 deleted with ink). Inscriptions. New leather binding.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 808.
Two title pages.
First edition of one of the important books regarding the customs of the Gaon of Vilna. Approbations by R. Chaim of Volozhin, R. Avraham Abele of Vilna and R. Avraham Danzig, author of Chayei Adam. The book records the customs and rulings of the Gaon of Vilna, based on the personal testimonies of his disciples. The book was compiled and published by R. Yissachar Dov Ber of Vilna, who based himself on what he personally observed, and on a testimony handwritten by R. Saadya, disciple of the Gaon of Vilna, who did not depart from the presence of his teacher for many years (see Kedem Auction 76, item 162, Hebrew sidebar).
[3], 67 pages. Approx. 19 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Marginal open tears to title pages and other leaves, repaired with paper. Worming, affecting text, repaired in part with paper. Two detached leaves. Stamps (stamp on p. 21 deleted with ink). Inscriptions. New leather binding.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 808.
Category
Miscellaneous Books
Catalogue