Auction 88 - Part I - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Lechem Shamayim, on the Mishnayot, Part I, with Binyan Beit HaBechirah, by Rabbi Yaakov Emden (the Yaavetz). Wandsbek, [1733]. First edition.
The Yaavetz's first published book and the only one of his books not printed in Altona, where he established his printing press. An illustration on verso of title page depicts the altar according to the Raavad.
The book contains over twenty scholarly glosses, most of them lengthy, handwritten by R. Mordechai Michael Yoffe (1803-1868), leading disciple of R. Akiva Eger and later rabbi of Zduny, Schneidemühl and Fordon. To the best of our knowledge, these glosses are unpublished.
In his gloss on p. 6a, R. Mordechai Michael Yoffe mentions the works he authored – Beit Menachem and Responsa of R. M. Yoffe.
The present copy was owned after the Holocaust by R. Amram Tzvi Grünwald (1907-1951), grandson of R. Moshe Grünwald the Arugot HaBosem. His stamp appears at the top of the title page: "Amram Tzvi Grünwald, rabbi of Föhrenwald".
[1], 118, 120-122 leaves. 31 cm. Good condition. Stains, including dampstains and dark stains. New binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Booklet handwritten by R. Moshe Schick [Maharam Schick], sermon for Shabbat HaGadol. [Yergen (Svätý Jur)], [ca. 1848/9].
The booklet comprises a complete Aggadic sermon for Shabbat HaGadol (divided into two main topics).
Two signatures of Maharam Schick on the title page (smudged, partially illegible): "Moshe of Brezova", with an inscription in his handwriting: "Aggadic teachings for Shabbat HaGadol 1848 and 1849". The present manuscript only comprises the sermon for 1849.
This sermon was published in Derashot Maharam Schick.
Other signatures on the title page.
[4] leaves (approx. 6 autograph pages). 22 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minute marginal tears. Inscriptions and stamps. Elegant leather binding, with gilt lettering: "Manuscript of Maharam Schick".
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, sermons delivered in the Jászberény community, handwritten by R. Aharon Bichler (Suditz). [Hungary, 19th century].
The title page states: "Religious sermons delivered in the synagogue of the Jászberény community". The sermons are written in Yiddish, and are arranged in several cycles of Shabbatot and special occasions: Shabbat Nachamu, Shabbat Shuvah, Shabbat Chanukah, 7th Adar, Shabbat HaGadol.
Writer's signature on the endpaper "Aharon Suditz". Signatures on the front and back endpapers, in Latin characters: "A. Bichler".
R. Aharon Bichler (Suditz) (ca. 1840-1914), disciple of R. Yehuda Aszód and later his son-in-law (in his second marriage). Disciple of the Ktav Sofer. Rabbi of Jászberény. He corresponded extensively with R. Yehuda Aszód, and many of the latter's letters to him were preserved.
Inscription in Hungarian on the front endpaper, mentioning Rabbi Dr. Leopold Löw, Neolog rabbi of Szeged.
[1] leaf, 155, 166-192, [1] pages. 25 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Marginal closed and open tears. Original binding, damaged.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, sections of a composition on the Rambam – Hilchot Toen VeNit'an, by an unidentified author. [Hungary?, ca. 19th century].
Large format leaves, mostly neatly written by a scribe. Emendations in a different hand in several places, with several pages written by that second writer, possibly the author. The present leaves appear to have been prepared for print. In several places, the writer refers to other novellae he authored.
We were not able to identify the author, and to the best of our research, the present novellae were never published.
[12] leaves. Approx. 38 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, tears and wear.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Lot 179 Collection of Manuscript Leaves, Talmudic Novellae by Rabbi Löw Schwab – Gewitsch, 1817-1828
Collection of manuscript leaves, Talmudic novellae, handwritten by the Neolog rabbi Löw (Leib) Schwab. Gewitsch, (Jevíčko, present day: Czech republic), 1816-1828.
One leaf is dated beginning of winter 1816-1817, in Gewitsch, and signed "Leib Schwab". Another is dated 1828.
R. [Yehuda] Leib (Löw) Schwab (1794-1857), disciple of R. Mordechai Banet and student in the Chatam Sofer's yeshiva. He also acquired a secular education, and much to the displeasure of his teachers, he became the first maskilic rabbi of Moravia, serving as rabbi of several communities, including Gewitsch, Prossnitz and Pest, where he was very active in promoting emancipation and assimilation in the surrounding society.
The present leaves were found in the notebook of sermons of R. Leopold Löw (see next item), who was a disciple of R. Schwab in Prossnitz and later married his daughter Leontine.
[19] written leaves. Approx. 24 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear.
• Two handwritten leaves enclosed, passages from a sermon on charity and lovingkindness, presumably also handwritten by Schwab.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, notebook of sermons, comprising verses, midrashim and ideas from various sources, arranged according to topics. [Szeged, Hungary, 19th century].
This thick volume serves as a reference book and tool for the preacher, and it contains verses, sayings and midrashim from the sages, the Zohar and various sources, as well as abstracts of sermons, arranged according to topics (not in alphabetical order, though there is an alphabetical index of topics with page numbers inside the front cover). The manuscript was presumably handwritten by Rabbi Dr. Leopold Löw, who recorded the sources and material which he used for his sermons.
The manuscript mentions many dates, between 1835-1863, and documents sermons delivered on various occasions. It comprises passages in German and Hungarian, as well as explanation of words from the Mishnah in Greek. Additional leaves were found inside the notebook, with more sermons and sources. A printed leaflet (German) with poems on the principles of the Jewish faith, the Jewish festivals and more, signed (in print, on the last page) by Leopold Löw, is attached to inside back board.
Rabbi Dr. Judah Leib (Leopold) Löw (1811-1875), historian and Neolog rabbi. He studied in his youth in several yeshivot, and later under Löw Schwab in Prossnitz, center of Haskalah in Moravia. He served as rabbi of the Szeged community, which in those times was entirely Neolog. At the end of his life he leaned towards Reform, and was considered the father of Hungarian Reform.
[172] leaves (and several enclosed leaves). 28 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Minor wear. Tears and open tears, affecting text. Original binding, damaged.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, Hebrew plays and other works. [Galicia, 19th century].
The manuscript comprises several maskilic works, presumably copied by one of the Galician maskilim; several plays; a poem for Purim, dated 1862, forming the acrostic "Yerucham Fishel Shatz of Lviv", presumably the writer of the manuscript; and other works (see Hebrew description).
At the beginning of one of the works, the writer notes that he copied it in Lviv in 1864.
Fine Rococo style decoration on title page of one of the works (Igrot Met).
80 pages; 32; 13; 7; 11, [1]; 25, [1]; 72; [9] leaves (over 200 written pages); many more blank leaves. 20 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor marginal tears to some leaves. Two detached leaves. Old binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Handwritten leaf – order of Birkat Kohanim. [Europe, ca. 19th century].
Presumably made for posting on the wall of the synagogue. Includes the verses and prayers customarily recited during Birkat Kohanim.
[1] leaf. 42 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Folding marks and wear. Tears to margins and folds.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Jerusalem Talmud, with commentaries. Zhitomir: R. Chanina Lipa and R. Yehoshua Heshel Shapira, grandsons of the rabbi of Slavita, 1860-1867. Five parts in five volumes.
First edition of the Pnei Moshe and Mareh Panim commentaries on Orders Zera'im-Moed.
The volumes contain close to fifty lengthy, scholarly handwritten glosses (some trimmed). Most the glosses are in the distinctive hand of R. Yitzchak Eizik HaLevi, author of Dorot HaRishonim, and some (over 10 glosses) are in a different hand, by an unidentified writer.
Some of the glosses of R. Yitzchak Eizik HaLevi explain the Talmudic topics; others pertain to the accurate text of the Talmud; while others still relate to the history and exact names of the Tannaim and Amoraim.
One gloss mentions the Malbim with the blessing for the living (the Malbim passed away in 1879, the glosses were therefore written before that date).
R. Yitzchak Eizik HaLevi (Tishrei 1848-1914), a leading Torah scholar of his times, communal leader and historian. He studied under the Beit HaLevi in the Volozhin yeshiva. With time, he began lobbying on behalf Russian Jewry, later founding the World Agudath Yisrael, together with R. Chaim of Brisk, R. Chaim Ozer of Vilna and R. Eliezer Gordon of Telshe.
Five volumes. Vol. I (Order Zera'im): [5], 14, 14-60; 30; 31; 33; 42; 18; 24; 18; 24, 23-33; 14; 9 leaves. Tractate Kilayim bound after Tractate Challah. Vol. II (Order Mo'ed, part I): [2], 52; [1], 55; 61 leaves. Vol. III (Order Moed, part II): [1], 39; 2-31; 17, 17-23; 20; 21; 2-23; 5, 7-32; 20; 17; 34 leaves (34 leaves belong to Tractate Shabbat, bound here in some copies). [1] leaf at beginning of volume – original printed blue wrappers (inscribed: "Volume I"); title page of Tractate Yoma lacking in present copy. Vol. IV (Order Nashim): [2], 79; 45; 64; 34; 56; 51; 41 leaves. Vol. V (Order Nezikin): [2], 33; 2-29; 2-26; 42; 31; 17, 17-26; 6; 15; 9 leaves. Tractate Makkot bound after Tractate Avoda Zara, and not after Tractate Sanhedrin as recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book. 36.5 cm. Overall good condition. Stains, including dark dampstains in several places. Marginal paper repairs to title pages, wrappers of vol. III and several other leaves, affecting borders and slightly affecting text. Minor open tear to wrappers of vol. III. Old bindings, with damage to bindings and spines (one spine partially lacking).
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Archive comprising thousands of paper items – including drafts, galley proofs of published books, and unpublished manuscripts on Aggadah, by R. Yechiel Michel Tucazinsky, dean of the Etz Chaim yeshiva. [1900s-1950s].
Hundreds of handwritten draft leaves, and hundreds of typewritten galley proofs with many handwritten glosses.
• Manuscript leaves with aggadic novellae on the festivals and various topics, including various homilies for Shabbat and the High Holidays, some dated 1916-1919. Presumably unpublished.
• Draft leaves and galley proofs of his books: Gesher HaChaim on burial and mourning, HaYomam on the dateline, Eretz Israel, Ir HaKodesh VehaMikdash and more. Some of the glosses are handwritten by his son R. Nissan Aharon.
• Drafts and galley proofs of various compositions related to Torah life in Jerusalem, from ca. 1918, such as memoirs of R. Shmuel Salant, account of the rabbinical meeting with Dr. Weizmann, and more.
• Maps and various sketches. Archeological and astronomical studies.
• Printed copy of the book HaYomam BeKadur HaAretz, regarding the international dateline. [Jerusalem, 1943].
Thousands of paper items. Size and condition vary.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.