Auction No. 106
Letters by A. Einstein and Other Illustrious Personalities, Zionism, Jewish Art, letters of Rabbis and Rebbes and Collection of letters to Sir Moses Montefiore from the archive of the late Rabbi Avraham Shisha - London - Buyer's commission 22%
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Complete sermon (missing the introduction) handwritten by Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi, Av Beit Din of Konstantin - son of Rabbi Yaakov Emden. Signed autograph.
Specifications: [4] pages. 17x20 cm. All in his hand and with his signature.
Unique Features: Crowded hand, signed with his usual signature: המאיר הקטן.
Includes a lot of documentation and information regarding Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi, his relationship with the Baal Shem Tov and a copy of his handwriting.
Background: Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi was born in 1717, the oldest son of Rabbi Yaakov Emden, the "Yaavetz." He began disseminating Torah throughout Poland at a young age. In 1750, he was appointed Av Beit Din in Konstantin, Wolyn. He served as rabbi in Konstantin for more than forty years, until he passed away at an old age in 1795. He was in contact with the Baal Shem Tov. Though at first he was opposed to chassidut, an episode occurred that drew him close to the Besh"t and he even hosted the Besh"t in his home in Konstantin. There is a story in the Shu"t Mayim Rabim by Rabbi Chaim HaKohen Rapaport, grandson of Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi, (Yoreh Deah, siman 27) about a rabbi who ruled that something was kosher in opposition to the words of the Rema. It includes a printed letter sent by the leaders of Mezibuzh, headed by the Besh"t, to Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi. They address him with many honorifics - and Rabbi Meir answered them in kind.
Condition: Moderate-fine. Light tears in the exterior margins, affecting solitary letters.
This sermon was printed in Meor HaGadol [2009], section two.
Handwritten work by a tremendous Torah scholar who is not identified, including novellae on the Talmud and Poskim.
Specifications: [33] leaves, Ashkenazi handwriting. Yet to be printed.
Content: Handwritten novellae on the tractates Baba Kama [pages 1-10 and 21], Baba Metzia [pages 11-12], Gittin [pages 12-13], Chulin [pages 13-15], Beitza [page 15 and 17, 32-33], Succah and Chagigah [page 16], Kiddushin [pages 17-18], Shabbat [pages 19-20] and Eiruvin [page 20]. Also a responsa on the laws of Choshen Mishpat [pages 21-28], Orach Chaim [pages 24, 27] and the laws of Pesach [pages 16-17, 29-32], Yoreh Deah [25], [Even HaEzer 25].
The author discusses the Rishonim at length, among the Achronim mentioned in the booklet are the Pnei Yehoshua, Ruach Chen and others.
Condition: Poor-moderate. The first leaf is detached from the spine, stains, wear on the edges of the leaves, some of the writing is faded and hard to read.
Shulchan Aruch by Rabbi Yosef Karo, four sections, copied by Meoded son of Saadya son of Yonah son of Gad Elchamati Elfatichi in Rada'a. Yemen, 18th of Tevet, 1695.
Specifications:[203] leaves, paper, 21x30 cm. Nice, Yemenite script.
Nice handwritten copy of the entire Shulchan Aruch according to the first edition printed in Venice, in 1565-1566. Without the "Haghaot HaRama," which was not accepted in Yemen. Handwritten text in two columns, titles of the simanim in large letters and with titles at the top of the page. The writer even copied the author's introduction. At the start of each section, the copier wrote a quasi-title page in large letters and with a corresponding verse, and at the end of Yoreh Deah there is a nice, small sketch.
Unique features: This is a complete, early handwritten copy of the Shulchan Aruch and is very rare - particularly with a detailed colophon.
Condition: Fine. No worming holes! Aging stains. A number of leaves are loose. The title page and the first and last leaves are detached with tears, primarily in the blank margins with blemishes to solitary words. Original, chafed leather binding.
Segulot and remedies in the handwriting of Rabbi Chaim Vital. Oriental script. 1500s.
Specifications: [2] pages, a leaf with writing on both sides. Two columns per page, approx. 40 lines per column. 20x15 cm. Entirely in his own handwriting.
Unique Features: Leaf from Rabbi Chaim Vital's important manuscript, Sefer HaRefuot VeHaSegulot VeHaPeulot. On this leaf, Rabbi Chaim Vital wrote various segulot and remedies, with the asseveration that they were related by trustworthy teachers who tested and proved their effectiveness. Rabbi Chaim Vital added "Proven" to one of the segulot enumerated on the page before us.
Contents: Among the segulot written are:
* Segula for coughing
* Segula for a fish bone or spur, or other food item of any sort that is caught in the throat
* Segula for night waking [Here Rabbi Chaim added "Proven."]
* Segula for tenderizing the meat of an old chicken
Background: Rabbi Chaim Vital [1542-1620] was the Arizal's greatest student, and the one who transmitted his teachings to future generations. It is known that the Arizal prohibited his students from recording his words, except for Rabbi Chaim Vital, since he alone knew how to fathom their depths. The Arizal also expressed that his entire purpose for coming to the world was to teach Rabbi Chaim kabbalah.
Expert's certificate attached, stating that Rabbi Chaim Vital's handwriting is known and recognized, and that the handwriting on the leaves before us is identical to his well-known writings.
Condition: Fine. Aging stains. Placed in a magnificent leather binding.
Handwritten sermon by Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, the "Ben Ish Chai," a eulogy and discussion of the great merit of shedding tears over the passing of a righteous person. [1897]
Specifications: [37] pages, paper. 10x13 cm. Typical Sephardic hand with deletions and corrections. About 18-22 lines on each page.
Content: Eulogy for Chacham Yitzchak Mordechai Sasson, prominent Iraqi Sage, Rosh Metivta of Beit Zilkha and head of "Yeshivat Chacham Yitzchak." He was known as the rabbi of Rabbi Shimon Agassi, Rabbi Yechezkel Ezra Ilya, Rabbi David Sofer, Rabbi Yechezkel Ezra HaLevi, and many other prominent Iraqi Torah scholars.
Unique features: The eulogy was printed in Shnei Eliyahu - Niveh Tzadikim [drush 5]. However, this manuscript has about another eight pages that were not printed in the book [!]. In these leaves, the Ben Ish Chai offers a lengthy elucidation of the verse in Ecclesiastes, "Better to go to a house of mourning than a house of celebration." In addition, the book does not mention the name of the subject of the eulogy, while Rabbi Yosef Chaim notes the name of the deceased in this manuscript and the precise date the eulogy was delivered.
Background: Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad (1833-1909), author of the Ben Ish Chai, was the most prominent Oriental sage of his time. His father was Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim son of Rabbi Moshe Chaim, rabbi of Baghdad. He was a disciple of Rabbi Abdallah Somekh, and his genius and righteousness were apparent from a young age. He started sermonizing in the great Synagogue when he was only 26-years-old. He continued delivering these sermons every Shabbat and holiday for about fifty years! Thousands of people gathered to listen to his eloquent words for four to five hours. He was world-renowned as "once-in-a-generation" in his knowledge of the hidden and revealed Torah and was noted for his great sanctity. In 1879, he traveled to the Land of Israel to pray at the graves of the righteous people, when it was Divinely revealed to him that his soul was rooted in that of Benyahu ben Yehoyada. He titled many of his dozens of works according to this name: Ben Ish Chai, Ben Ish Chayil, Ben Yehoyada, Rav Pe'alim, Od Yosef Chai and more.
Condition: Very fine. New, magnificent leather binding. Minimal stains.
ספר 'זבחי צדק' עם חתימת בעלים.
Zohar on Shemot. Mantua, [1559]. First edition. Unknown work in the margins of the book's sheets, Ashkenazic handwriting, beginning of the 17th century.
Specifications: 269 pages, 25 cm.
Backgound: First edition of the Zohar ever printed. Almost one hundred years had passed since the advent of Hebrew book printing, and the Zohar had not yet been printed. The book of the Zohar was brought to the printing press only after the halachic rulings permitting printing the Zohar, which contains the Torah's sodot (deep spiritual matters).
Unique Features: Approximately five hundred and fifty handwritten pieces of commentary and explanation of the Zohar's words appear on the margins of the sheets. The commentary is actually a short, concise explanation of the Zohar's words in a clear and fluent language. Most of the pieces start with the words, 'Here, he reveals the sod to you ...' or, 'You will find a sod here' or, 'See a sod here.' To the best of our knowledge, this work has not been published.
From the style of the author's writing, it it clearly the work of a great kabbalist to whom the paths of the secrets of kabbalah are clear and revealed to him. Many times, he writes, "and the educated will understand," or comments such as, "Look and see they are all great sodot, unless your eyes are (no more than) flesh" (26b). Apparently, the sole work mentioned in his words is the previous book on kabbalah, Shaarei Orah (for example, see leaf 96a: "refer to Shaarei Orah gate 5, and this sod will be revealed to you").
On the flyleaf at the end of the book, a copy of '[Reply from a] sage who wrote his knowledge of sefirot and atzilot to his student.'
Most of the manuscript was written by one writer, but there are glosses and references in an Italian writing, possibly one of the Nortzi family's, who are mentioned further on. In the margins of leaf 114a, 'תמה אני המעתיק איך רב ייבא סבא וכו' is written.
Owner's signature: "Yitzchak Mehallalel Nortzi" on the book's title page, on the upper right corner. The Nortzi family was a family of philanthropists and great rabbis in Mantua, apparently he is the father of Rabbi Moshe Netanel Nortzi, who was an adjudicator in the RaMaZ's beit din. It's possible that some of the glosses are his. Two of the glosses end with the name signed "Hirsch" or "Hertz" (26b, 67a).
Condition: Fine. A few worming holes in the margins of the leaves. Aging stains. Magnificent leather binding.