Auction No. 098
Holy books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical & Admors letters, Americana & Judiaca
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Laws for the entire year, customs, prayers, commentary on the Pesach Haggada, laws of Yoreh Deah and Even HaEzer and a few monetary laws, followed by various compilations from earlier sages, from an unknown author.
Specifications: 158 leaves. 30 cm.
Unique features: Ashkenazic owners' signatures and a number of glosses in Ashkenazic handwriting on the pages of the book.
Many Bibliographers are of the opinion that this work is the first edition of the Orchot Chaim of Rabbeinu Aharon HaKohen of Lunel. Refer to Ben Yaakov, Otzar HaSefarim, p. 239, number 118. This book is extremely popular and completely reliable.
Condition: Fine. Blemishes to the title page. A few tears to the blank margins of a number of leaves.
Levush Ha'Orah. Elucidation on Rashi's commentary on the Torah by Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe. Prague, printed during the author's lifetime. Rare.
Specifications: 91 leaves. 28.5 cm. With a map of Eretz Yisrael. First edition.
Unique features: First edition of the famed commentary by the author of the "Levushim". His commentary on Parshat Ma'asai includes a printed, woodcut map of Eretz Yisrael, which features the borders of the land and illustrations of ships, homes and towers.
First edition of the Hebrew map of Eretz Yisrael, as drawn by the author of the "Levushim". Before the map, he writes, "This is a map of the borders of Eretz Yisrael, according to Rashi's commentary, and it is true and right...and just as we merit to draw it, may we merit to see it rebuilt and settled." This copy does not include the [9] leaf compilation with supplements to his other works.
Antiquated owner notation on title page.
Condition: Fine. Aging stains. Minimal, restored worming holes on the last leaves. New half-leather and marbleized paper binding.
Responsa of the Maharshdam. Orach Chaim and Yoreh Deah, by Rabbi Shmuel di Modina. Brought to print by his son Rabbi Moshe di Modina. Salonica, printing press of Avraham Yosef Bat-Sheva, with handwritten scholarly glosses.
Specifications: 16, 21; 168 leaves. 16. 29 cm.
Background: The author was the greatest Turkish sage of his time. His son Moshe, who brought this book to print, relates in his introduction that he "wasted his treasures" to print this book. He brought paper, printing equipment and workers from Italy to Salonica. Two workers even converted to Judaism. The son printed his father's book of responsa in the years 1585-1587, but the printing was of such bad quality, that it was decided to print it here again. The present copy has many changes and additions, and people ruling halacha only use this edition.
Unique Features: Ownership signature and many scholarly comments, some of them long. Sephardic handwriting. Two leaves in the Yoreh Deah section (33, 36) are in ancient handwriting.
Original binding, wood covered in light colored leather with embossed decorations, and with remnants of buckles to lock the book. On the rear side of the title page is a long inscription and stamp of the Russian censor from 1873.
Condition: Fine. Wide margins. Worming holes. Aging stains.
Commentary on Deuteronomy by Don Yitzchak Abarbanel.
Specifications: 145 [1] leaves. 30 cm. First edition. Vinograd, Sabbioneta 1.
Unique features: Rare. The last leaf features a poem by Chacham Azarya [Bonaiuto] de' Rossi, author of Meor Einyaim, extolling the author and his works. The back of the leaf features the printer marks of Foa and Yosef ben Yaakov of Padua.
Title page decorated with leaves and images.
Condition: Fine-very fine. Old tape reinforcement to title page. A few censor deletions. Aging stains.
Menorat HaMeor by Rabbi Yitzchak Abuhav the First (Sphardic), proofread by experts according to an ancient manuscript, with explanations of foreign words which were not in the originals.
Specifications: 116 leaves. 29 cm.
Unique features: Antiquated owner signatures and a few glosses and revisions.
The colophon notes: בדפוס שהוא בתוך המגדל עז מהשעות מהאחים מיסי' פילוטארסי וקלידאנו פילופוני
Condition: Fine. Paper reinforcement and small tear in the title page margins. Aging stains. Half-leather binding.
Pnei Rabbah. Index to Medrash Rabba by Rabbi Menashe ben Yisrael.
Specifications: [2], 53; [1], 25 leaves. 19 cm.
Content: Detailed index according to the verses, with a list of where they are mentioned in the medrash. Two sections: the first for the medrash on the Torah, and the second for the medrash on the five megillot, with two title pages.
Unique features: This was the first book printed by Menashe ben Yisrael at his personal press, and one of the first Hebrew works printed in Amsterdam - and Holland overall. Interesting introduction by Menashe ben Yisrael. Owner signature on title page.
Condition: Fine, minimal worming holes to the blank margins. Minimal aging stains. Simple binding.
Elucidations on the roots of Aramaic words in Targum Onkelos, Yonatan and Yerushalmi, by grammarian Rabbi Eliyahu HaLevi Ashkenazi Bachur.
Specifications: [6], 164: [2] leaves. 28 cm. First edition.
Content: Title page and introduction in Latin. Ends with a Hebrew colophon with the printer's device, an illustration of a fruit bearing tree, flanked by the Hebrew letters פ ב [Paul Fagius].
Unique features: Rare. Nice print with calligraphic letters. Thick paper.
Glosses in pleasant Ashkenazic handwriting. Antiquated owner notations on the title page.
Background: This work was printed in a number of formats during that same year and at the same press. For details, refer to: Y. Yudlov, Ginzei Yisrael, #1865.
Condition: Fine. The title page and first leaves have marginal reinforcements. Aging stains.
Tavnit Heichal. A description of the Second Temple with all of its vessels, with a description of the Tabernacle, by Yaakov Yehuda Aryeh [Leon-Templo].
Specifications: [38 leaves], 19 cm. First edition.
Background: The author writes in the introduction that he built a model of the Temple. Additional Latin title page. At the beginning of the book "Rishayon Atzil HaMedinah Zilandaya", "Rishayon Atzil Eretz Nikra Netzivim Klalliim", and "Rishayon Atzil Medinat Hollandaya", all translated into Hebrew.
Condition: Very fine. A few aging stains and worming holes in the white margins. New leather binding.
Fifty precious sermons - Givat Shaul. Fifty sermons, one sermon for each of the weekly Torah portions, by Rabbi Shaul Levi Morteira.
Specifications: 116 leaves, 19 cm. First edition. Ownership signature. Handwritten comment on page 66.
Background: The author was the Rabbi of the Sephardi community of Amsterdam. At the end of the book is a detailed list of five hundred sermons, out of which fifty were chosen to be printed. In the subsequent edition [Warsaw, 1902], two sermons were omitted due to the censor.
Condition: Fine-very fine. A few aging stains. Very few worming holes. Slight professional restoration in the margins of the title page. Nice, old semi-parchment and marbled paper binding.
Tiferet Yisrael. Sermons from seven wisdoms, by Rabbi Shlomo ben Rabbi Tzemach Duran. Venice, in the Zanetti printing press [circa 1600].
Specifications: 210 [should be: 212] leaves, 20 cm. First edition. Wide margins.
Unique Features: Six long sermons, and 'Megillat Sefer' - a long commentary on the Book of Esther with the text of the Megillah. The book was printed with no note of the year of printing, and the bibliographies disagree as to which of the years 1591-1600 it was printed. The author, Rabbi Shlomo son of Rabbi Tzemach Duran, also known as Ravshatz HaAchron, was one of the greatest rabbis and dayanim of Algeria at the end of the 16th century.
A rare book, in complete form, with all of the indexes.
Condition: Fine-very fine. A few worming holes, mainly in the margins. A few aging stains. Professional restoration in the margins of the title page. New semi-leather binding.
Tractate Bava Kama with the commentary of Rashi, Tosfot, Piskei Tosfot, Piskei HaRosh and Peirush HaMishna L'Rambam.
Specifications: 121: 21, [4] leaves. 36 cm. Printed by Christian sage Ambrosius Froben.
Unique features: This was the first tractate printed of the Basle Talmud, refer to the "Ma'amar al Hadpasat Hatalmud". p. 74. This edition suffered from the heavy-handed censorship of Marco Marino, who omitted, changed and even added his own comments and commentaries.
Original blank leaves divide the sections of the work.
The title page bears the antiquated signature, with a light strikeout line, of Elchanan son of Moshe Bachrach. This apparently refers to the dayan in Frankfurt, father of kabbalist Rabbi Naftali Bachrach, author of Emek HaMelech. Rabbi Elchanan passed away in Frankfurt in 1619, where he is buried. Refer to his epitaph in Rabbanei Frankfurt, p. 247.
Additional owner signature of the officer Rabbi Leib son of Shaul, founder of the noted kloiz in Altona; interesting notation from the teacher of students, Pinchas son of Gershon, "who studied this gemara in the winter of 1602, with two sons of the officer..." Censor deletions and manual revisions in a number of locations.
Condition: Fine. Wide bottom margins. The outer margins are slightly cropped, affecting the Ein Mishpat references. Light blemishes to solitary leaves. Wood binding, covered with old leather, painted white.
Specifications:
Tractate Bechorot. 62, 62-69 [should be: 68] [1] blank leaf.
Tractate Menachot. 112 leaves.
Tractate Kritot. 28 leaves.
Tractate Temurah. 34 leaves.
Tractates Meilah, Kinyan, Middot and Tamid. 38 leaves. 32 cm. With the commentaries of Rashi and Tosefot, the Rambam's commentary on the Mishnah and more.
Unique Features: This early and rare edition was printed in Krakow between the years 1602-1605. For information about this edition refer to: Rafael Natan Nota Rabinowitz, Ma'amar Al Hadpasat HaTalmud, Jerusalem 1952, pages 80-84. A few handwritten glosses in several places.
Condition: Very fine. A few aging stains. Magnificent ancient parchment binding partially reconstructed.