Auction 60
Lot 38:
Two handwritten volumes containing the Sefer Hazohar by the Divine Tana Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. The sections of Bereshit and Shemot.
Copied after the first edition (Mantova, 1558-1560) in fine calligraphic script attempting to match the original as much as possible.
Appearing on the colophon is the date: 1678 and the copyist’s name: "Zecharya ebn Rabbi David ben Sa’adya Ramchan" – does not appear in the Encyclopedia of the Sages of Yemen.
Volume I of Bereshit, the manuscript integrates leaves of the above edition. It should be noted that in Yemen of that period, printed books were even more precious than manuscripts. Following is a list of the printed leaves: 39-59 (leaf 60 is missing), 64, 73-76, 86-87, 101-104, -106-107, 110-156 (leaf 140 is missing), 162-163, 213-227. Red decorations and sentence starters in color frames – see pictures. In addition, appearing on the margins of the printed leaves are lengthy and significant handwritten comments and corrections.
Volume II of Shemot does not integrate printed leaves and it is entirely handwritten in fine, uniform script. Appearing on the margins of the leaves are short, interesting comments such as "The reason for Kos shel Bracha", "The reason of Afikoman" etc. referring to the content of the book. Has not been examined leaf-after-leaf.
Over 400 leaves handwritten! (Containing over 850 hanwritten pages)
Original, ancient leather bindings. One spine is blemished. varied blemishes and aging damage. Good general condition.
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