Thick volume in a large format containing the two sections of the Midrash Yalkut Shimoni—a collection of ancient Midrashim on the Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim, including Midrashim that had disappeared over the years (and it is their only source). Attributed to Rabbi Shimon Ashkenazi, head of the Darshanim in Frankfurt (one of the Rishonim of the 13th century).
Printed in Frankfurt an der der in 1709.
Section I on the Torah: [1], 313 leaves. With a foreword by Rabbi Avraham Yisrael ben Rabbi Yaakov Koppel Ben Rabbi Aharon Mirlesh Levi Heller, who edited the work.
Section II on Neviim and Ketuvim: 190 leaves.
In some libraries, the book appears in the Rare Books Collection. Elegant title page with an engraved illustration of Moshe and Aharon and a depiction of the wars of David and Goliath.
Additional title page for the second section. Additional engravings frame some of the titles of the books. Megillat Esther is, for some reason, titled “Achashverosh”.
Ancient leather binding, apparently, original, scuffed. Matching later leather spine. Some taping and restorations. Retsored title page. leaf 9 is creased and taped. Moth perforations and some moth damage. Stains. Partly detached binding with a gathering. Yellowish edges. Good oevrall condition.
On the ttile page, a partly hidden notation. What can be identified is:
"…מפאפא מסתופף פה בצל הקודש" – possibly, Rabbi Yehoshua Freund of Karoli, the disciple of the Noda BiYehudah, the son of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Karov-Freund of Papa.
"בצל הקודש" possibly refers to the Noda BiYehuda.
On the back flyleaf, a notation that sheds light on the earlier owners of the book:
זה הילקוט שייך להאלוף הראש והקצין כהר.. מיכל ירושלמי" – the Yerushalmi family was an ancient and pedigreed family from Prague. Its sons included the Nefesh Tovah, the Dayan of Chust at the Beit Din of the Maharam Schick and many more.
In addition, ancient notations of dignitaries from whom the owner of the book had borrowed Siferi Kodesh. In one of them, the name
"לייב קאסוויץ" appears – the Gaon Rabbi Yehuda Kosovich who served as Rosh Av Beit Din of Prague at the Beit Din of the Noda BiYehuda. It seems the owner of the copy was himself an important figure.
Additional notations that have not been studied.
