Halachot and minhagim, by Rabbi Yaakov Landau. One of the foundational works of halachot and Ashkenazi minhagim during the Rishonim. Justinian printing. Signatures of ownership from the book’s period of printing. 132 pages. There are copies and, at the end, SeferHazon. New binding. Cover is repaired and taped. Not professionally done on some pages. Stains. Generally ok to good condition.
Commentaries and discussions on grammatical issues, on the Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvim, by Rabbi Shlomo Even Melech. Printed by Moshe ben Elazar Parnes, the doctor. With dozens of handwritten glosses from the printing + signatures. New leather binding, the cover and first and last pages are restored professionally, moth marks, stains from moisture, wear, generally ok to good condition.
SidreiNezikin and Taharot (starting from BavaMetziya Chapter 7, Mishnah 9, until MasechetTammid Chapter 7, Mishnah 2). The current edition is probably the first edition in which the two commentaries were printed together. Nussach of the Mishnah is in the center of the page in block lettering, while the commentaries are in Rashi script. Probably Riva Di Trento printing. Partially missing. Slight moth damage, stains. Binding, cover, pages 1-171, and last pages are missing. | 172-391 pages. 28cm. Generally ok condition.
Printed by Juan Bragadin at the Juani di Gara printing house. 425 (supposed to be 424), [1] pages. New, handsome leather binding. Part of the cover page is filled in via a photocopy. Moth damage. Stains. Generally ok to good condition.
Complete section of Ketuvim from the Tanach. Includes Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles. Includes many glosses written in an ancient Mizrahi handwriting. The first word of each of the books is bounded by a large and pretty frame that characterized Venice printings (the Book of Psalms, this volume’s first book, has a larger frame). Apart from the text itself and the targum, the following commentaries appear: Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Ralbag, Rasag, Radak, and more. Cover page is missing. Tear with missing text and repairs with tape on the first page. New binding, stains without damage to text. pages 672-908. 40cm. Generally good condition.
Mussar, Rabbeinu Yehuda HaChassid. Second edition. Printed by Ambrosio Provinio. Includes 3-4 pages of “Ramzei Klalei HaSefer” that do not appear in most copies. This edition has corrected wording from the first edition, which was printed in Bologna. However, this edition also has changes and removals caused by the Christian censor. [4], 116 pages. 20cm. New binding. Cover page is repaired at the bottom. Moisture stains. Generally very good condition.
By Rabbeinu Yaakov ben Asher (the Rosh) with commentary and chiddushim by Rabbeinu Yosef Karo, printed by Juan di Gara. 421 pages, 26 pages. In the margins are dozens of erudite glosses and hundreds of glosses with corrections and place markings, handwritten from the period the book was printed. New binding half-leather, handsome. Cover and a number of pages are professionally repaired. Generally good condition.
Commentary on sugiyot and mishnayot. Printed by Daniel Zanitti. 143 pages, 20cm. New, handsome leather binding. Cover was professionally repaired. A little moth damage. Generally good condition.
Drashot on the Torah by Rabbi Shem-Tov Melamed of Moriyah. Printed by Mateo Zanitti. 136, 8 pages. 29cm. New half-leather binding with marbled paper. Missing 7 pages from the indices at the back. Stains. Cover professionally repaired. Generally good condition.
Commentary on the First Prophets, Joshua and Judges, sections 1-2. By Rabbi Aharon ibn Hayim. 122, [2]; 129, [3] pages. 31cm. Signature of ownership. Anterior binding disconnected. Cover professionally repaired. Generally good condition.
Mikraot Gedolot, Torah/Neviim/Ketuvim with mesorah gedolah and more. Printed by Ludwig Koenig. Includes a volume of Haftarot with Radak’s commentary, Ashkenaz/Sfardi/local customs. [6], 228; [1], 234-441; [1], 442-705; 707-946; 7, [1]; 67 page, 67. [2]. 38cm. 5 covers. The recording in the Mifal Bibliography writes “there are few copies that include the additional volume of Haftarot together with Radak’s commentary. This section was printed on its own for synagogues. New handsome leather bindings. Covers and pages are professionally repaired with no damage to text. Stains over time. Generally good condition.
Exegesis on the Book of Proverbs by Rabbi Shlomo Doran, known as the Tashbetz. He was a great sage of North Africa, Rabbi of Algiers, which during his era became a center for Torah. Some of his answers were printed in the book Shot HaTashbetz. The author’s introduction writes of his family lineage traced back to the Ramban, and on the death of his sons, including introductions from his family members. Signatures of ownership on the first pages. The copy before us is complete—all introductions and indices. Rare. [8], 26, [1], 29-360, [10] page, 19.5cm. New half-leather binding. Light moth damage, stains. Generally good condition.
Glosses and corrections of mistakes from Mechilta, Safra, Sifrei, Midrash Raba, and Tanhuma, midrash shmuel, midrash tehilim, midrash mishlei, and Yalkut Torah. Seder Kedusha, glosses on the prayers of the sefardim with a number of melodies, by HaRav Meir Benvenisti. Second edition (the first was published in Salonika, 1565). 70 [95 90] page. (Winograd Prague 310). Rare. On the title page is the signature of the Gaon RAv Yosef bar Mordechai Ishiyo, son of the Hagid Mordechai, he wrote an introduction to the book. Ok to good condition, nice title page with an architectural motif, a number of damaged pages in the margins, often with damage to letters. Binding is loose.
On the last Prophets and Ketuvim (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve Prophets, Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Daniel, Ezra, and Chronicles). One of the early editions, with glosses and signatures in ancient Mizrahi handwriting. Yalkut Shimoni by Rabbi Shimon HaDarshan includes midrashim and aggadot of Chazal, including many midrashim that were lost over the years, such that the work is the text preserving them. Its date of composition is unknown, but it is believed that it was written at the beginning of the 13th century. Stains and moth marks, pages are falling apart (they are given in nylon in a binder). Binding, cover page, and a number of other pages are missing. [94] page. 28cm. Generally ok condition.
Color lithograph on cardboard, at the top there are two lions holding a Keter Torah, and under them is an accurate portrait of three geonim: Rabbi Yehezkel Landau (the Nodah B’Yehuda), Rabbi Moshe Sofer (the Chatam Sofer), and Rabbi Akiva Eiger. With colorful decorations in beautiful colors. Probably from Germany. | Slight tears in the white margins. 42x32cm, generally good condition.
Rabbi Yochanan of Rachmastrivka, Rabbi David of Tolna, Rabbi Aharon of Chernobyl, the Maggid of Trisk, Rabbi Yitzhak of Niesuchojeże, the Ba’al HaTanya, and Rabbi Yaakov Yitzhak of Makariv. Lithograph printing, in strong, lively colors. The portraits are surrounded by decorations of wonderful floral patterns. Breslau, Germany (today Poland). | Repairs with tape. Tears with slight bits missing. 50x40cm. Generally ok condition.
Lithograph printing by Moshe Danziger-Krohn Warsaw. 21x27cm, given in a wooden frame 30x37cm. Tears with a little missing from the writing at the right. Generally good condition.
Print on cardboard, a picture of Rabbi Avraham Matityahu Friedman, the Tzaddik of Ştefăneşti. Under it is an inscription in Yiddish and German. His name is associated with miracles that are ‘above’ Nature: curing the ill, causing barren women to have children, saving people from financial ruin. It is possible that a picture of this sort served as an amulet for protection. Signs of folding, stains, slight tears in the margins. 16x9cm. Generally ok to good condition.
Printing of a drawing of the Admor Rabbi Yehezkel Shraga Halberstam of Sieniawa, with a background of holy sites. Micrograph work of special verses from the Tanach that are segulot. Illustration probably from his visit to Jerusalem in 1869. Stains. Signs of folding. 21x15cm. Generally good condition.
1. Three original photographs in black and white of the Admor of Piaseczno.
2. Booklet of the monthly Torah journal HaKerem, “under the supervision of the Admor of Piaseczno,” Warsaw, Kislev 1931.
3. Entry card for the Da’at Moshe yeshiva, led by the Rebbe of Piaseczno. The student is Sinai Pelz, from the winter period of 1939. Stamped by the yeshiva.
The Admor Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piaseczno (1889-1944) is known as a great Hassidic thinker and became famous for his compositions including Chovat HaTalmidim. After the First World War, became of the great crisis of Charedi Judaism (many of the youth were attracted by the nationalist movements and left religion), he decided to engage in youth education and founded the Da’at Moshe yeshiva in Warsaw, where he served as head of the yeshiva. During the German occupation he lived in the Warsaw Ghetto and continued to give drashot to his followers. His drashot were written down and were found after the war and were published in the book “Esh Kodesh” (Holy Fire). He was murdered in November 1943 at the Trawniki concentration camp, next to Lublin.
1. Picture of a farmer dressed in full Chassidic garb, cultivating the rocky terrain.
2. Cut out from a newspaper of the period, with a picture of a farmer with pe’ot and a beard bearing farming tools on his shoulder, with the heading “Rabbi Avraham, who was a merchant in Warsaw.” An article talking about the immigration of the Chassidim led by the Rebbe of Yavlona. Givern in a wooden frame, covered in glass. Generally ok condition.
14 calendars on notecards, starting from 1977 until 1991. On one side of the card is the calendar, on the other is a drawing. They were given to members only by the Jewish-Soviet newspaper system in Yiddish. The goal of the newspaper was to preserve Yiddish. A rare collector’s item. Different sizes and conditions, generally good condition.
Small torah on parchment, Sfardi handwriting. With etzei hayyim made of carved wood, at the top are handles made of wood for putting on rimonim (finials). With a blue cloth covering. Repairs made to the klaf, not sold as a kosher torah. | Height of the parchment: 35cm. Length of the text: 42 lines, 26cm. Generally ok to good condition.
Sofer (Sfardi) handwriting, written with especially nice handwriting, uniform handwriting throughout. Ink on red gvil parchment (thick, soft leather),; they used all parts of the leather, and the inscription was done on the outside piece of the leather, which caused its unique color (brown-red). Given inside a case from a later period, cloth thread embroidery and silver on cardboard, with a dedication. Not sold as a kosher scroll. Height of the parchment: 54cm. Length of the text: 42 lines. 40cm. Generally ok condition.
Written by hand on parchment according to the Yerushalmi Sfardi nusach, pretty handwriting, uniform writing throughout. Not sold as kosher. Given inside a pretty case, made of colored wood done with micrography work of the Mikdash, with texts from Neviim and the Megillot. In the upper portion are verses relating to Jerusalem, plus Ten Commandments and Stars of David. At the top of the housing is a crown of carved wood, gilded finials with crowns and bells. The interior is covered in red velvet, and in the upper portion is a dedication. Two clasps for closing, plus a yad and a chain for hanging. Size of the parchment: 44cm. Text: 42 lines, 32cm. Height of the housing: 53cm. Including the crown: 75cm. Diameter of the housing: 29cm. Height of the finials: 26cm. Generally very good condition.