Manuscript, novellae on Tractates Sukkah, Beitza, Megillah, Kiddushin, Chullin and omissions. Novellae and commentaries on the Rashi and Mizrachi commentaries to the book of Devarim (Parashiot Devarim to Ki-Tetze). [Meknes? (Morocco), ca. 1800].
A title appears at the beginning of Tractate Sukkah (p. 1a): "Novellae on Sukkah – I will begin recording novellae on Tractate Sukkah with the help of G-d"; and a colophon at the end of Tractate Sukkah (p. 7b): "We completed Tractate Sukkah on Thursday, Sivan 9, [1801]… and we began Tractate Beitza on Sunday, Sivan 12, may G-d help me…".
Unpublished compositions – a "Shita" of novellae and comments arranged in order of the tractates' pages. Author's autograph (unidentified), in particularly neat Oriental script, with corrections, deletions and many additions – interlinear, intercolumnar and marginal. The style of writing suggests that these compositions were compiled by the author over the course of his learning. The writer appears to be a Meknes Torah scholar. The formatting style is very typical of manuscripts produced by Torah scholars of Meknes, Morocco. The contents include citations of Meknes Torah scholars such as R. Moshe Toledano, R. Mordechai Berdugo and others. The flowing language he uses, rich in flowery expressions, also parallels the style of other books by Meknes Torah scholars. In many instances, the author quotes novellae in the name of his teacher "מור"י" and in several places, he transcribed entire passages from the writings of his teacher "מור"י" (see for example p. 11b). On p. 22b, to Tractate Kiddushin, he quotes teachings he heard in the name of Tosafot Shantz (the nonextant Tosafot Shantz composition on Kiddushin existed then in manuscript).
The novellae on the Torah primarily relate to the Rashi commentary on the Torah. He extensively quotes and discusses the words of R. Eliyahu Mizrachi and the Rashbatz (R. Shalom ibn Tzur, a Moroccan Torah scholar – who composed a super-commentary to Rashi on the Torah. The Rashbatz's composition was not published, but parts of it are extant in manuscript. The passages quoted here may not appear in the extant manuscripts). He also cites teachings by HaRav HaMarbitz (R. Mordechai Berdugo of Meknes, 1715-1762), and from the book Melechet HaKodesh by HaRav Maharmat (Melechet HaKodesh on the Torah by R. Moshe Toledano, printed in Livorno in 1803. The composition in this manuscript was presumably authored after that date, though a possibility remains that the author studied Melechet HaKodesh in manuscript form, before it was published).
An inscription appears near the beginning of the book (in a different handwriting), recording the receipt of funds "for learning" from "Senor Chaim Sayegh".
[3], 22, [30] leaves. Including 13 empty leaves (apart from a brief note not pertaining to Torah). 21 cm. Neat, close writing, most leaves are formatted in two columns. Fair condition. Wear and dampstains. Worming and small tears (affecting text in some places). Some detached leaves. Without binding.