Auction 85 - Judaica: Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Collection of leaf fragments removed from a "bindings genizah" – from 16th century editions of the Babylonian Talmud.
• Three leaves from Tractate Kiddushin. Sabbioneta: Tobias Foa, 1553. • Eight leaves from Tractates Berachot, Eruvin and Sanhedrin. Probably from the edition printed by Justinian in Venice, 1546-1551.
11 leaves. Size varies. Various degrees of damage due to use in binding. Large open tears and extensive damage to all leaves, affecting text.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Collection of leaves removed from a "bindings genizah" – leaves from Tractate Berachot. [Salonika, 1705].
Special edition for students, published by the Talmud Torah society in Salonika. The page layout is different from the regular layout which was introduced in the Venice edition of the Talmud.
11 leaves (mostly inconsecutive; text from folios 2-3, 11-13, 18-23 of the regular editions, including the first page of the tractate).
11 leaves. Approx. 30 cm (almost the original size). Various degrees of damage due to use in binding. Dark stains, open tears, worming and damage, affecting text, to all leaves.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Disassembled book binding, with the leaves it contained – rare printed leaf fragments, including a leaf from an unknown Talmud edition:
• Leaf from tractate Berachot (end of chapter I and beginning of chapter II), from an unknown Talmud edition, presumably printed in Constantinople, ca. 1590. Leaf almost complete.
• Fragment from Tractate Shabbat. Venice: Bomberg, 1520.
• Leaves from Five Book of the Torah with commentaries, Constantinople 1522 edition.
• Leaf fragments from Akedat Yitzchak, presumably Salonika 1522 edition.
• Leaves from Arbaa Turim, Choshen Mishpat part, Constantinople 1540 edition.
• Two fragments from Tractate Chullin, Salonika 1566 edition.
• Leaves from the book Yefeh Toar, Venice 1597 edition.
• Other fragments (including leaf fragments from an unidentified manuscript).
The binding was made of early printed leaves pasted together with several manuscript leaves, and covered in leather. The present item includes the leaves and leather covering after careful disassembly.
Approx. 30 leaf fragments. Size and condition vary.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Babylonian Talmud, set in twelve volumes, with commentaries. Berlin: Julius Sittenfeld, 1861-1868.
The text on p. 31a of Tractate Shabbat in this edition was tampered with during printing: the letter Heh was omitted from the word "yeshua" in the phrase "Tzipita liyeshua" (did you await salvation), reading instead "yeshu" (Jesus). Samuel Shraga Feigensohn, the Vilna activist and publisher, discovered the corruption and informed R. Nachman Avraham Goldberg, publisher of this edition, who promptly reprinted four thousand corrected copies of this leaf and sent them to the buyers of this edition (see Hebrew sidebar). In the present copy of Tractate Shabbat, the original, uncorrected version appears, with the textual corruption.
See Hebrew description for the year of printing of each tractate.
12 volumes. 38 cm. Dry and browned paper in some volumes. Overall good to good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear to some leaves. Open tears to several leaves, including title pages. Worming; one vol. with extensive worming. Several detached leaves. Old leather bindings, some damaged and lacking spine.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Mishnayot, with the Rambam and Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura commentaries – Six Orders of the Mishnah in one volume. Venice: Zanetto Zanetti, [1606].
Ownership inscription on a piece of paper pasted to front binding: "Shmuel Ambron". Ownership inscription on final leaf: "Belongs to Elia Mazal Tov Usigli". Several glosses.
84, [1], 85-206; 43, 45-46, 48-302 leaves. Lacking leaf 44 and leaf 47 of second sequence (misfoliation). Leaves 219-226 and 243-244 were bound out of sequence. Approx. 29 cm. Overall fair condition, some leaves are in good-fair condition. Stains, including severe dampstains. Wear and creases to edges. Tears, including open tears affecting text, repaired with paper. Worming to title page and other leaves, affecting title page border and text. Paper repairs to edges of title page, affecting its border. Two leaves detached. Leaves trimmed, affecting title page border, headings and text in some places. Early binding, damaged and torn, with extensive worming.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Tractate Avot, with commentaries by Rashi and the Gaon of Vilna; Avot D'Rabbi Natan, and the minor tractates: Sofrim, Semachot, Kallah, Derech Eretz Raba, Derech Eretz Zuta and Perek HaShalom, corrected according to the text of the Gaon of Vilna. Shklow, [1804]. First edition.
The book was brought to print by the sons of the Gaon of Vilna, R. Yehuda Leib and R. Avraham, and compiled by his disciple, the Kabbalist R. Menachem Mendel of Shklow. The book begins with an important foreword by R. Menachem Mendel, in which he relays several extraordinary points that he heard from his teacher, the Gaon of Vilna.
Leaves 3-24: Tractate Avot, the Mishna occupying the center of the pages, flanked on one side by Rashi's commentary, and on the other by "the commentary of the Gaon, where one who studies earnestly will find many wonders, demonstrating how each teaching of the Mishna is derived from explicit verses". Leaves 25-50: Tractate Avot D'Rabbi Natan, based on the text and corrections of the Gaon of Vilna. The center of the page is occupied by the text corrected by the Gaon of Vilna, with the old, unedited version printed on the side, "so that one will be able to appreciate the difference between the two, like the distance from the East to the West, and the advantage of one over the other like light over darkness". Leaves 51-82: Minor Tractates in the same setup; the corrected text occupying the center of the page, with the previous version on the side.
82 leaves. 21.5 cm. Condition varies, good to good-fair. Stains. Dampstains. Worming to title page and to final leaves. Open tears, repaired with paper. Paper reinforcements to inner margins of the first two leaves. Without binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Shenot Eliyahu, Mishnayot Order Zera'im, with commentaries by the Gaon of Vilna. Lviv, [1799]. First edition.
The commentary of the Gaon of Vilna is divided into two: the brief commentary and the lengthy commentary.
On the verso of the title page, approbations and warning by the Vilna Beit Din not to publish the teachings of the Gaon of Vilna without permission, and without first ascertaining that they are unquestionably the writings of the Gaon of Vilna.
Handwritten glosses (Ashkenazi square script).
[2], 9; 53, [2], 57-59 leaves. 33 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Worming affecting text. Small marginal open tear to title page; small tears to several other leaves. Leaves trimmed with damage to headings and text. Many stamps. Old binding. Back board detached.
Without leaf [3], the rare leaf with the foreword by R. Chaim of Volozhin, added to a few copies only.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 177.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Jerusalem Talmud (forged) – Order Kodashim, with the Cheshek Shlomo commentary, published by Shlomo Yehudah Friedlander. Part I: Zevachim and Arachin, Part II: Chullin and Bechorot. Szinérváralja (Seini), [1906]-1909.
The Jerusalem Talmud on Order Kodashim was lost during the time of the Rishonim and was never printed. In the early 20th century, one Shlomo Friedlander copied all the citations from the Jerusalem Talmud on Order Kodashim he found in the works of the Rishonim, skillfully combining them with passages from the other Orders of the Jerusalem Talmud, and claimed that he had discovered an ancient manuscript of the lost Jerusalem Talmud.
Friedlander's forgery was at first a great success. Many rabbis and researchers believed the work to be authentic, however others realized that the work was a forgery and publicized their findings. After the forgery was confirmed, most copies were buried.
Two volumes. Vol. I (Zevachim and Arachin): [8], 100 leaves. Vol. II (Chullin and Bechorot): [9], 78; [1], 47 leaves. Lacking general title page of vol. II. 34.5-35.5 cm. Dry, brittle paper. Overall good-fair condition. Stains. Tears, including tear to title page of vol. II, affecting text. Worming. Printing defect to one leaf of vol. I, with loss to a large part of text. Detached leaves in vol. I. Old bindings, damaged (front board of vol. I. detached; spine lacking). Stamps and bookplate of the writer Alter Druyanow in vol. I.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Sefer Rav Mordechai (Rhenish), rulings and Ashkenazic customs arranged according to the order of the Talmudic tractates, by R. Mordechai ben Hillel HaKohen. Krakow: Isaac ben Aaron of Prostitz, [1598].
Volume IV from the Rav Alfas edition printed in the Prostitz printing house in Krakow in 1597-98. With glosses and rulings from R. Menachem David ben Yitzchak of Tiktin (Tykocin).
The note "Rhenish", which appears on the title page in parenthesis, serves to differentiate this version from the "Austrian" one (there are significant textual differences between the two versions).
Several glosses (mostly brief), in Ashkenazi script, from the time of printing.
Many ownership inscriptions (some deleted). Among them: "Shlomo son of Meir Heilprin"; "El[ya]kim son of Mordechai… Chalfan[?]"; "Moshe son of Itzik HaLevi".
116, 118-191 leaves. Misfoliation; several leaves bound out of sequence. 36.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Traces of past dampness and heavy dampstains. Wear. Worming, affecting text. Inscriptions. Damaged, early wood and leather binding, with remnants of clasps.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Hilchot Rav Alfas, Part II on Order Nashim and Part III on Order Nezikin. [Basel: Konrad Waldkirch, 1602]. Two volumes. Small format.
Incomplete copies. Two volumes. Order Nashim: 120, 122-216, 218-220, 225-228, 230-272 leaves. Lacking 3 leaves: 121, 217 and 229. Order Nezikin: 2-343, [1] leaves. Lacking title page and 56 final leaves. Approx. 15 cm. Some leaves significantly browned. Fair condition. Stains. Worming, affecting text, repaired in part with paper. Open tears, affecting text (primarily to first leaves of Order Nashim). Open tears to title page of Order Nashim, affecting border, repaired in part with paper. Two detached leaves in Order Nezikin. Old bindings.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Hilchot Rav Alfas, with Rashi commentary, Part I – Order Moed (including tractate Berachot and Halachot Ketanot), Part II – Order Nashim (with tractate Chulin) and Part III – Order Nezikin. Amsterdam: Immanuel Benveniste, [1643]. Three parts in three volumes, containing Hilchot HaRif on the Talmud.
Brief handwritten glosses on several leaves.
Three volumes. Vol. I (Moed): 211 leaves. Vol. II (Nashim): 160 leaves. Vol. III (Nezikin): 195 leaves. Lacking leaves 196-204, replaced with leaves 112-137, 140-160 of order Nashim. 20-21 cm. Overall fair-good condition. Stains, including large dampstains. Open tears to several leaves of vol. III, affecting text, repaired with paper. Worming affecting text, primarily to vol. I. Old bindings with damage and worming.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Hilchot Rav Alfas (Rif), with commentaries, Mordechai and Tosefta. Slavita: R. Dov Ber Segal and R. Dov Ber son of R. Pesach [at the printing press of R. Moshe Shapira Rabbi of Slavita], 1807-1810. Approbation of R. Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev. Five parts in five volumes.
The approbation of R. Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev is addressed to "the rabbi who owns the Slavita printing press… who wants to print the Alfas books in his high-quality printing press". In the approbation at the beginning of Part II, of R. Yehuda Leibush Auerbach Rabbi of Vyshnivets, the name of the printer is written explicitly: "…R. Moshe Rabbi of Slavita", even though the title pages bear the names of other printers (who were apparently the managers of the press or partners of R. Moshe Shapira, and the printing permit was in their name – see Kedem Catalog 65, p. 86). R. Yehuda Leibush writes in his approbation: "Look at the beauty of the books printed in the aforementioned printing press… there is nothing comparable from any Polish and German press, only the Amsterdam printings".
Signatures and stamps on title pages and other leaves: "Avraham Shlomo son of R. Shalom Meir"; "Avraham Shlomo, grandson of the Maggid, son of R. S. [R. Shalom]"; "This Rav Alfasi belongs to me Avraham Shlomo Goldenbaum…" (R. Shlomo Avraham Goldenbaum, 1843-1917, a dayan in Safed, prominent Sadigura Chassid and outstanding Torah scholar; his novellae were printed in Eshel Avraham, Jerusalem 1996, amongst others); "Yosef son of R. Chaim of Khotyn, Safed"; "Belongs to the Study Hall of the Rebbe of Makarov in Safed".
Dozens of long handwritten glosses on the pages of tractate Berachot.
The title pages are printed in red and black.
Vol. I: [2], 52; 14, 13-14; 100; 46 leaves. Vol. II: 188; 26 leaves. Vol. III: 290 leaves. Lacking leaves 69-72 (of the Mordechai on Tractate Yevamot; lacking a total of 4 leaves). Vol. IV: 156; 116; 125-143 leaves. Lacking last leaf (of the Mordechai on Tractate Bava Batra). Vol. V: 202; 64, 67-76 leaves. Lacking leaves 57-58 of the first sequence. 34 cm. Bluish paper. Overall good-fair condition. Stains. Dampstains. Worming. Tears to title page of Vol. I, repaired with paper. Vol. IV – fair-poor condition, the end with significant worming and damp damage, sometimes affecting text. New bindings.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.