Auction 88 - Part I - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Manuscript, halachic responsum by R. Gavriel Ashkenazi, with his handwritten additions and signature. [Aleppo, ca. 18th century].
Lengthy responsum on the topic of partnerships, written in response to the ruling sent to him by R. Yisrael son of R. Yosef Sasson (a leading Aleppo Torah scholar, author of Knesset Yisrael, Livorno 1856).
Neat scribal script. Marginal and interlinear additions and emendations handwritten by the author R. Gavriel Ashkenazi. With R. Gavriel's signature at the end of the responsum.
R. Gavriel Ashkenazi, Torah scholar and dayan in Aleppo in the second half of the 18th century. Immigrated to Shechem near the end of his life.
This responsum was published with differences in Responsa of R. Gavriel Ashkenazi, without some of the handwritten additions.
[7] leaves. 21 cm. Good condition. Stains. New binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, two halachic responsa by R. Shalom Moshe Chai Gagin and responsum by R. Moshe Pardo. [Jerusalem, 19th century].
Neat copying of a responsum by R. Gagin, on the laws of inheritance, followed by a responsum by R. Moshe Pardo who differs with R. Gagin, and an additional responsum by R. Gagin, written in response to the objections of R. Moshe Pardo. The entire manuscript is in the same hand, including the copied signatures of R. Gagin and R. Pardo. The three responsa may have been copied by R. Gagin himself.
The responsa were published in Responsa Yismach Lev, Choshen Mishpat part, sections 1-2, with some differences.
R. Shalom Moshe Chai Gagin (1833-1883), leading Jerusalem Torah scholar, son of the Rishon LeTzion R. Chaim Avraham Gagin, whom he succeeded as dean of the Beit El yeshiva of kabbalists.
[10] leaves. 23 cm. Good condition. Stains, including dampstains, and several tears. Several words in inner margins hidden due to tight binding. New binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, fine copying of Siddur HaRashash with kabbalistic kavanot, comprising the end of the Shacharit prayer, with Hallel and Birkat HaLevanah. [Jerusalem, 1900s-1910s, presumably before 1916].
Lettered on the binding: "Seder Tefillah B". This is presumably the second of two volumes of the Shacharit prayer. Several leaves at the end of the manuscript (some in smaller size), with prayers and kavanot for protection from plagues.
The present manuscript was presumably scribed by one of the Torah scholars of the Beit El or Rechovot HaNahar yeshivot of kabbalists in Jerusalem, who produced various copyings of Siddur HaRashash, and entrusted them to reliable kabbalists only.
Siddur HaRashash was compiled by R. Shalom Sharabi, dean of the Beit El yeshiva, in the mid-18th century, based on the writings of the Arizal and R. Chaim Vital. It was intentionally not printed for many years, and was kept in manuscript form only, to be used by select kabbalists. Only in 1911-1916 were the various parts of the siddur finally brought to print.
Glosses by various kabbalists.
Signature on the endpaper: "Yitzchak Suissa" – presumably R. Yitzchak Suissa, a kabbalist of the Rechovot HaNahar yeshiva.
[88] leaves. 23.5 cm. Good condition. Stains, including dampstains (ink smudging in several places). Marginal tears. Original binding, damaged.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, Nefesh David and selections from kabbalistic works. Mudju (Mücü, Azerbaijan), [ca. first half of the 19th century].
Copying of Nefesh David by R. David di Medina (Constantinople, 1736), and selections from other kabbalistic works, scribed by Gershon son of R. David from Mudju, Azerbaijan. Original marginal glosses by the writer in several places, some of them with his signature. One of the glosses is followed by a later gloss, by a descendant of the writer. The manuscript was also in the possession of R. Gershon son of R. Reuven, a Torah scholar of Quba, Azerbaijan; his signature and stamp appear on the title page, and several of his handwritten glosses in the margins. There are other known manuscripts scribed by R. Gershon son of R. Reuven of Quba.
Mudju is a town in Northern Azerbaijan, with a Jewish community comprised of Mountain Jews (see Hebrew sidebar). Following WWI, its Jews fled to the nearby village of Haftaran, thus forming the combined Mudju-Haftaran community.
[90] leaves. 16.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears to title page and other leaves, not affecting text, repaired in part with paper. Original binding, damaged.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, selections and novellae on the laws of Shechitah and Terefot, and various other topics, by an unknown writer. [Azerbaijan, ca. 1870s].
Oriental script, typical of the Persian region and Caucasian countries. Upon comparison with another manuscript received from the same source, which was written in Azerbaijan (see previous item), we infer that the present manuscript was written in Azerbaijan.
Manuscript handwritten by the author, with deletions and emendations in several places. The manuscript mainly deals with laws of Shechitah and Terefot, but also includes novellae on other topics. It mostly comprises selections from halachic literature, with the addition of original novellae by the writer. Some novellae are dated (1876, 1877).
Several leaves at the end of the manuscript with novellae on various topics. Draft letter on the back endpaper.
The manuscript also contains several pieces of paper with various inscriptions, drafts, and quill trials. Piece of paper (printed in Cyrillic characters) attached to one leaf, with a draft letter (in pencil) and inscription.
[136] leaves. 18 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Marginal tears. Large open tear to one leaf. Holes to one leaf, with damage to text. Several leaves detached. Original binding, damaged.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Manuscript, Avkat Rochel – regarding Mashiach and the World to Come, by R. Machir son of R. Yitzchak Sar Chesed, disciple of R. Yehuda son of the Rosh. [Persian region, ca. 19th century].
Manuscript lacking beginning. It begins in the middle of Book I, comprises Book II in its entirety, and the second part of Book III. Lacking several sections which appear in printed editions.
Two sections from Baal HaTurim on the Torah are copied on the last page.
[36] leaves. 16 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Worming. Marginal tears. Inscriptions. Old binding.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Four handwritten amulets on parchment. [Sephardic lands].
Amulets for recovery and protection from all kinds of illnesses, hazards and misfortunes.
Size and condition vary.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.