Auction No. 9 - 06.04.2016

Written in Bukharian Arabic. With vowels. Around 100 written pages. Size 12x16cm. Old binding is worn, light defects and war. Generally good condition.

Autograph, 15 pages, Ashkenazi writing, written on both sides, articles on the Prophets. Crowded, organized writing, with additions and marginal notes, erasures and corrections. Identity not discovered. Size 25cm. Generally good condition, on two pages are defects with damage to text.

Nice collections of issues relating to Kabbalah and holy names, segulot. With illustrations and charts and lists. Around 100 written pages, size 11cm. Interesting and special manuscript. Ok to good condition, a little moth damage, not bound, pages loose, light defects.

For all year with translation, vowels, and ta’amim. Around 100 pages. Clear, pretty writing, ink on thick, quality paper. Old leather binding with fasteners from leather, size 24cm. Excellent condition, ink smudges at the start o the lines (maybe from moisture).

2 manuscripts bound together: 1. “Yamin Moshe,” by the Rambam, halachot of ritual slaughter with notes and additions. An early copy, writer unknown. 2. “Shochtei Yeladim” with exegeses and commentaries on the Rambam, halachot of ritual slaughter and impure meat. Seems to be a copy. All written with nice, orderly handwriting, with a stylistic cover page at the start of the book. 2 complete books, more than 100 pages. Yemen. At the end is a flowing signature, seems to be a signature of ownership, “Daoud ben Musa” Size 17cm, generally good condition, thick pages, title page damaged in the margins. Stains and wear. Simple binding.

For Rosh Hashanah and blowing of Shofar. 10 pages written on both sides, ink on paper. Yemen, start of 20th century. On the last page is a list by the writer with a Yemenite, looping signature. Size 18cm, good condition, not bound.

With translation and Rashi commentary. Mikrah has vowels and ta’amim, translation with vowels. 8 pages written on both sides, thick, quality paper. Nice writing, with illustrations and red ink. Good condition, size 23cm. Stains, new binding.

15 pages written on both sides, first page is copied twice. Nice writing, good condition, pages are think. Simple binding, stains.

1. Halachot of forbidden foods according to the Rambam. 2. Halachot of shechita of the Rambam. 3. “Sha’arei Kedusha” halachot of shechita and treifut according to the Maharitz. With a separate cover page. There are marginal notes amongst the pages. At the end is a pamphlet of halachot shechita abbreviated and with hints for memory. With pamphlet “Ibur HaShaim,” charts for calculating leap years and minhagim of tefilot and readings for holidays, by Rav Sa’id Drain (and the copier Sa’adia ben Hisda’i). Copier unknown. Around 200 pages. Size 16cm. Ok to good condition, depends upon the page. Number of pages with moth damage, including damage to text.

Haftarot for all year, with vowels and ta’amim. Nice, organized writing. Yemenite writing, cover page is stylish and pretty. Cover page written Jerusalem, during the early years of the aliyah of Yemenite Jews to Jerusalem during the First Aliyah. Without translation or Arabic, unlike most manuscripts from Yemen. 67 pages. Size 27cm. Generally good condition, simple binding, first pages have moth damage, the rest have moth marks in the margins.

Volume of Book of Genesis with translation of every verse according to the custom in Yemen. Voweled. Around 150 pages, 21cm size. There are some pages filled in with a later writing. Ok to good condition, number of pages with tears, moth damage, stains, and wear. Not bound.

Pages taken from volumes, Gemara Masechet Brachot, Mishnat Torah of the Rambam, halachot of forbidden foods. Awful condition, different sizes. Not checked.

Sages, rabbis, dayanim, and local rabbis: Rav Yosef HaKohen Oppenheimer, Rav Ovadiya Yosef and Rav Eliezer Yehuda Waldenurg, the Tzitz Eliezer. Letter written by Rav Yitzhak Shlomo Unger, Av Beit Diner Chug Hatam Sofer. Letters: Rav Yosef Lipman Gorwitz, Rabbi in Melbourne Australia. Letter by Rav David Meir Rabinowitz, Rabbi in Boston ( letters). And another bunch of important letters, different sizes and conditions, some only have signature.

27 different letters from sages and rabbis of Israel. Letter from Rav David Povrski, head of Ponovizh yeshiva. Letter from Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrahi, head of Ateret Israel yeshiva. Letter from Rav Avraham Shapira, chief Rabbi of Israel and head of Merkaz HaRav yeshiva. Many additional letters, some with signatures of head of Porat Yosef yeshiva in the Old City, Rav Shlenger and more. Different sizes and condition, some only have the signature.

Letter on a postcard by Rav Yisrael Yaakov HaKohen Yafeh of Manchester, marriage certificate signed by Rav Reuvan Katz, Av Beit Din of Petah Tikva. Letter written from Yeshivat Kamnitz. Letter of Rav Yitzhak Yeruham Borodiansky, son-in-law of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, head of Yeshivat Kol Torah. Letters signed by Rav Ra’anan Kook. Letter from Rav Haim Haikel Greenberg, Rav of Vilna (number of letters), Rav Yehoshua Kaniel of Haifa (number of letters). A great number of letters, different sizes and conditions, some only feature the signature.

Letter on postcard written by Rav Tzvi Hirsch Parver, 1930. Letter signed by Rav Shlomo David Kahane, Rosh Av Beit Din of Warsaw 1941, letter signed by Gaon Rav Zalman Sortzkin, letter signed by Rav Nasim Karlitz and Rav Yitzhak Zilberstein. Letter from Rav Yehoshua Kaniel, Rav Moshe Shimon Zivtitz, Rav of Peterburg 1932. And a great number of other important letters. Different sizes and conditions, some featuring only the signature.

Large lot of 47 letters from Morocco. Family letters, various issues. All written by hand and signed. Different authors, not checked for content. All in generally good condition, different sizes, periods, most from the start of the 20th century.

11 letters from different people on various issues sent to Rav Yehoshua Korkus, head of the Marrakesh community. Letters all handwritten and signed, all in generally good condition, different sizes.

Large lot of dozens of letters from figures and rabbis sent to Rav Yehoshua Korkus, all written by hand and signed. Material not checked thoroughly, there could be interesting and important letters. Different sizes and conditions, most are in excellent condition.

Letter signed by Rav Shimon Shabati—was an ambassador for the community of Tzfat, went to Sefrou in Morocco in 1903. Also signed by Rav Haim Edri, born in Morocco it seems, in 1853 he was a member of the Beit Din in Tzfat, and second to the Ra’avad Gaon Rabbi Haim Sat’hon, after World War I he was appointed to the position of Chief Rabbi of the community of Tzfat, known as a great sage in Torah, died in 1930 and buried in Meron. Letter sent it seems to a contributor to Rabbi Meir ba’al HaNes. Signs of folding, defects.

Receipt for getting a donation, signed by the Gaon. In the margins is written an approval by his son, Chacham Na’im, approving that it is the signature of his father. He was a Kabbalist sage in Bavel and Jerusalem, student of the Ben Ish Hai and father of the Rishon LeZiyyon, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu. He lived 1879-1941, in his youth he made a deep connection with Rabbeinu Yosef Haim, the Ben Ish Hai, and started going deep into the Kabbalah at the Beit Zilkha yeshiva. In 1918, at the recommendation of the Ben Ish Hai, he moved to Jerusalem, where he served as one of the choicest students of the Rav Haim Shauel Davik HaKohen at the Rechovat HaNa’ar yeshiva. He wrote a composition “Kerem Shlomo,” a wide commentary on the Etz Haim of the Maharchav, six volumes that were published after his death. Good condition.

“Yoman Achdut Israel,” including summary of halachot from the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, published in 2000. At the start of the book is the printed recommendation of Ovadia Yosef. Attached is the original recommendation of Maran, with his signature and addition of the date in his handwriting. With recommendation of his son, the Rashal, and Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Yitzhak Yosef, written by hand and signed (that recommendation did not make it into the book). Different sizes, excellent condition.

Letter turning to the residents of Jerusalem to stop their work and carry out rallies for prayer at synagogues against the National Committee that was supporting a “Community Law” in the government. All of the letter is handwritten and signed by Rav Yaakov ben Atar, a kabbalist and sage of Jerusalem. In addition are the signatures of Rav Eliyahu Legimi, from Aleppo and then Jerusalem, compiler of “Bneihu ben Yehuda,” SRav Shimon Ashriki too. In the margins are four additional lines handwritten and signed by Rav Yosef Haim Zonenfeld with his stamp. Additional Ashkenazi rabbis’ signatures. On the reverse side of the page is a long writing to support the above, written and signed gaon Rav Yosef Yedid HaLevi, compiler of Birkat Yosef and Yemei Yosef, with the additional signature of Rabbi Haim Shaul Davik HaKohen, head of Rechovot HaNahar yeshiva, known as the Shada. Good condition, filing marks. Signs of folding, damage to a number of letters as a result of punctures.

“Kriyat Kodesh” document for donations on behalf of the gamach for Torat Chesed. The content of the letter reads “this account has existed for around five years, and is managed [truthfully] by important talmidei chachamim…” With the list of expenses from 1957-1962. In the margins is the recommendation of Gaon maran HaRav Ezra Atiah, with his handwriting and signature. Lived 1881-1970, he was a Gaon and wonderful mechadesh of the Talmud and its commentaries, for more than 50 years straight he headed the Jerusalem yeshiva “Porat Yosef,” the great Sefardi rabbanim of the next generation were his students, such as Rav Ovadia Yosef. HaRav Avraham Yeshayau Karlitz, the “Chazon Ish,” returning from the Kotel one time, visiting the yeshiva and began a long argument with him on Torah. Afterwards he said Rav Atiah’s explanations “were like the explanations of the Rishonim.” Good condition, signs of folding.

1. Handwritten letter and signature of the Gaon Rabbi Haim David Siriro, the Rav and Av Beit Din of Essaouira, written in Arabic to the Jews of the community on the subject of tefillin, written and signed on official letterhead 2. 2 letters handwritten and signed by the Gaon Rabbi Refael Birdogo, Av Beit Din of Safi, sent to Rav Aharon ben Hassin, Av Beit Din of Essaouira, on official letterhead of the Chief Rabbinate of Safi 3. Letter signed by Rav Yehuda Lion Kalfon, on official letterhead of the Beit Din HaGadol of Tetouan. 4. Letter in Arabic on the community of Essaouira, signed by the Beit Din of the community 5. Letter written and signed by HaRav Meir Malka. Essaouira 1942. 6. Permission letter for a bride written and signed by the dayyanim of the city of Oujda, with the handwritten signature of the Rav Av Beit Din Yosef Abuhatzira, the Baba Sav, with letter written in the local language with stamps. Different sizes, letters in excellent condition.