Auction No. 13 - 07.03.2017

Q&A of the Radbaz, by Rabbi David ben Shlomo even Zamra (1479-1573), Av Beit Din and leader of the Jews in Egypt. Cover is repaired, taped, the last page is taped and a little missing, light moth damage, mainly in the first pages, generally excellent condition. Bound with new cloth binding (engraved). [2] 129 page. Signature of ownership on the cover. Ma’aseh Rokach, chiddushim on the Rambam by Rabbi Masoud Hai Rokach (1690-1768), of Tripoli. After leaving Israel as a Shadar (after having moved there from Izmir, his mother country), he was asked by the people of Tripoli to stay there as their rabbi, and he did. This portion of his book, because of which he became famous, was printed during his lifetime. Signature of ownership of “Yehiel Yehuda Schlesinger.” Light tears on the cover, wrinkles, various stains and other tears. Generally very good condition, new engraved binding. [8], 286 pages.

By Rabbi Binyamin of Tudela, 24 pages. Light tears on the cover page. Bound together with Or Olam, composition on the natural sciences by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Margaliot, Av Beit Din of Boznov, author of Korban Reishit, and more. 24 pages. Generally good condition, stamps of ownership: Moshe Slonim—Kfar Chabad; Rav Moshe Shlomo Slonim—an important Chabad chassid, head of the network Ohalei Yosef Yitzhak and of the Lishkat Ezrat Achim.

First edition of the book published by the author anonymously. Kabbalah, mussar, nature, medicine, and philosophy, by Rabbi Pinhas ben Eliyahu of Vilna. The copy before us has, before the cover, a printed permission page by the censor from 1799 in German, which was added to some of the copies. [4], 68, 70-128, 66, [4] page. Anterior binding and the censor page are disconnected, no spine. Moth marks, stains, generally good condition. Signature of ownership unidentified on the cover.

A call by the Great Sanhedrin (established by Napoleon in Paris) to all the Jewish communities to pray for the success of the Emperor in his wars, and songs for him in Hebrew, with translation into Italian. 42 pages, without the dust jacket, rebound. Light stains, generally good condition.

Section 1: [9], 327, [4], (at the end is bound the book Lechem Mishnah of the Rambam, printed in Amsterdam in 1703. First section [3], 49 page). Section 4: [1], 309, [13] page. Covers are a little defective, moth damage, various tears, stains, new bindings, generally ok to good condition. Signatures of ownership, some identifiable.

Printed by Shmuel the printer in Berdichov. Printed on blue paper, new binding, moth damage and stains from moisture, generally very good condition. 2 last pages are missing.

The first cover is missing. [1], 368, [1] including a page with inscriptions of “shapes of tools for Zra’im and the vineyard.” Bound with Lechem Mishnah, third section, on the Rambam, printed by the same printer in 1703. 54 page. Moth damage and light tears, generally good condition, rebound.

Binding is disconnected with remains of the buckles. Light moth marks, generally ok to good condition.

By Rabbi Yosef of Trani (the Maharit), second section. [1], 145, [2] page. 33cm, light stains, generally good condition.

Guidelines of grammar, punctuation, ta’amim, and verbs by the Gaon Eliyahu of Vilna (the Gra). [2], 24, [2] page. Light moth damage, signs of use, wear. Signatures of ownership: not checked. Original binding is a little worn. Generally good condition.

By Rabbi Yeshaya Berlin-Pik, first edition printed of this commentary. 58 pages. Various educational glosses written in pencil. Defects and unprofessional repairs in the margins of the cover. Moth damage, generally ok condition.

Chiddushim on the Tanach by Rabbi Shlomo ben Melech, with additional forgotten collection by Rabbi Yaakov Evendana. [4] 120 page. Light tears and stains, old parchment binding. Generally good condition.

Drashot in mysticism by Rabbi Shlomo Molcho (1500-1532). Signature of ownership on the cover. Wrinkles and light stains, cuts to the binding with a little missing text. Generally good condition.

Printed in India, with tables for fortunes and holy names, with a warning not to use it except “in great need and out of necessity.” Tears and stains, generally ok condition. Various lists on the first and last pages.

Prayers, bakashot, and the seder for the day of Leil Shimurim and the day of the Brit, “brought to the printer by the sage Shlomo, known as the Baba Jan Pinchasof.” Jerusalem 1910. Last page is disconnected, tears and various bits of taping, many signs of use. Generally ok to good condition. Inside the front binding is tied a Magen Milah made of silver, stamped 875.

By Rabbi Binyamin of Tudela, 24 pages. Light tears on the cover page. Bound together with Or Olam, composition on the natural sciences by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Margaliot, Av Beit Din of Boznov, author of Korban Reishit, and more. 24 pages. Generally good condition, stamps of ownership: Moshe Slonim—Kfar Chabad; Rav Moshe Shlomo Slonim—an important Chabad chassid, head of the network Ohalei Yosef Yitzhak and of the Lishkat Ezrat Achim.

By Rabbeinu Ovadiah of Bartenura, on Rashi’s commentary on the Torah. [2], 5-26, 22, 15, [1], 12, 10 page. Moth damage, light stains, stamp of ownership: “Chief Rabbinate of the Turkish Government, Istanbul.” One page torn out and missing, generally ok to good condition.

A key to the kabbalah by Rabbi Shabtai Sheptil HaLevi Horwitz (1566-1619), a sage of Prague, known as a kabbalist and doctor. The copy before us was printed without the year or place of printing, on the cover is copied the place and year of the first edition of this book: Hano 1612. Kabbalistic lists throughout the book. Signature of ownership: bought with the money of the young Nissim Mamo of Khapoud. Moth damage, tears, and additions by hand. Generally ok to good condition.

In Hebrew with Latin translation, pages opposite one another. [50], 455, [29] page. Parchment binding. A few stains, generally good condition.

1-2. HaMidrash veHaMa’aseh by Rabbi Yehezkel Lifshitz of Platsk [Poland], president of the Rabbinical Association in Poland. Drashot on the five books of Torah—Genesis to Numbers in two volumes. Bindings are disconnected. Defects from wear, moth damage, and moisture stains. Generally good condition. 3. Tevo’ot Adama, drashot on the Torah by Rabbi Alter Moshe Aharon Levi, Av Beit Din of Damberava—Gorny [Poland]. Genesis to Numbers together in one volume, damage from wear, moth damage, moisture stains, generally good condition.

By the kabbalist Rabbi Shlomo Molcho, exegeses on the book Rechovot HaNahar—Nahar Shalom by the kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, the Rashaash. Rare book. [5], 154, [1] page. 22cm. Moth damage, stains from moisture and wear over time. Generally good condition.

Books by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag, the Ba’al HaSulam, as he prepared for a section of his students and those close to him with an experimental edition before giving them for printing. The books have a printed cover and an inside made by stenciling. 1-2. Talmud Asher HaSfirot, two volumes, lessons 1-13, with introduction and endorsements by Rav Kook, HaRikh Zonenfeld, Rabbi Haim Shaul HaKohen Davich, and additional kabbalists. Jerusalem 1937. 3. Talmud Asher HaSfirot, lesson 16, second printing—1939. 4. Petichah LeKhochmat HaKabbalah, accompanied at the end by HaIlan HaKadosh. Only edition, according to Winegrad “in replication, never appeared again.” Jerusalem 1943. 5. Beit Sha’ar, kavanot of the Arizal with a simple exegesis of the Ba’al HaSulam, section 1—Jerusalem 1941. Various conditions, worn binding and disconnected. Generally ok condition.

First edition of the books by Rabbi Yaakov Haim Sofer, known by the name of this book. All of the sections were printed during the author’s lifetime. 1. Orech Haim, section 1—Jerusalem 1905. 2. Orech Haim, section 1—Jerusalem 1929. 3. Orech Haim, section 2—Jerusalem 1913. 4. Orech Haim, section 3—Jerusalem 1915. 5. Orech Haim, section 4—Jerusalem 1920. 6. Orech Haim, section 5—Jerusalem 1924. 7. Orech Haim, section 6—Jerusalem 1928. 8. Orech Haim, section 7—Jerusalem 1931. Orech Haim, section 8—Jerusalem 1933. 10. Yoreh De’ah, section 1—Jerusalem 1936.

Chiddushim on agadot of the Shas, by Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad (the Ben Ish Hai, 1835-1909), one volume with sections 1-2. Separate cover for each section with golden ink. Section 1: On Masechtot Brachot and Shabbat. [2], 59; 47, [2] page. Section 2: On masechtot Eruvin, Pesachim, Yoma, Rosh HaShana, Sukkah, Beitzah. [2], 93, [1] page. Many moth marks, tears, and light stains. Generally ok to good condition. On the spine of the binding is the gilded inscription: “Baruch Shalom HaLevi.” Seemingly the Admor of Ashlag, Rabbi Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (1907-1991), the Admor and kabbalist, eldest son and successor of the Rav Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag, the HaSulam.

1. Darchei Tziyon—only edition, Pressburg 1922. Droshim for parshat Tzav and mishnat Ben Azay, etc, “authored by a great Gaon of the past century whose name is unknown…I saved it from the teeth of the moths that were eating it…” 22 pages, rebound, generally very good condition. 2. Kinyan Chadash—only edition, Budapest 1923. Chiddushim on ketubah d’irchasa, and Sefer Aveidat Rabbi, eulogy on Rabbi Eliezer Deutsch, Av Beit Din in Anhard, authored by Rabbi Mordechai Parhand, motz of Neitra. 80, [1] page. Rebound, generally very good condition. 3. Derech HaNesher and Torat Emet—only edition, Satmar 1928. Chiddushim by Rabbi Natan Adler, rabbi of the “Chatam Sofer.” 4, 68 page. Rebound, generally very good condition. 4. Derech HaNesher and Torat Emet—only edition, Galanta 1928. Second section of the book above (#3), chiddushim by Rabbi Natan Adler, rabbi of the Chatam Sofer. 86 [2] page. Rebound, generally very good condition