Auction 93 Part 2 - Ancient Books, Chassidic and Kabbalistic Books, Manuscripts and Letters
Leaf from a diwan of poems by R. Avraham Ibn Ezra. [Oriental script, ca. 12th/13th century].
Written on both sides. See Hebrew description for contents of the leaf.
[1] leaf. 23 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Open tears, affecting text, professionally restored with paper.
Collection of leaf fragments, mostly on parchment, from early manuscripts, which were used as bindings or from a "bindings genizah".
• Parchment leaf, Taj and Tafsir R. Saadiah Gaon, Vayetze-Vayishlach, Yemenite script with supralinear vocalization. [Yemen, ca. 1400].
• Parchment leaf, Parashat Nasso, Oriental script, with vocalization, cantillation marks and Masoretic notes. [Yemen?, 14th/15th century].
• Parchment leaf, Yeshayahu 39-41, Sephardic script, with vocalization, cantillation notes and Masorah Gedolah and Ketanah. [Spain, 14th century].
• Two parchment leaves, section of Melachim I, Sephardic script with vocalization and cantillation notes. [Spain, 14th century].
• Parchment leaf, section of Yechezkel, Sephardic script. [Spain, 15th century].
• Two paper leaves, Psalms 34-36, 46-39, in Oriental script, unvocalized. [Middle East? Yemen?, 13th/14th century].
8 leaves (including 7 parchment leaves). Size and condition vary.
Enclosed: report by Shlomo Zucker, expert on Hebrew manuscripts.
Two manuscripts – commentaries on the Torah portions, early copyings in Oriental script, possibly by the same writer:
• Midrash Lekach Tov (Pesikta Zutrata) by R. Tuviah son of R. Eliezer, on the Book of Bereshit. [Sephardic lands, 16th/17th century].
Semi-cursive Oriental script. Comprises a large part of the book of Bereshit, from the middle of Parashat Vayera until the middle of Parashat Vayechi; lacking several leaves in the middle.
[33] leaves. 31.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including large dampstains and dark stains, affecting text. Wear. Marginal tears and open tears, affecting text.
• Remazim LeRabbenu Yoel. [Sephardic lands, 16th/17th century].
Oriental script. Comprises the major part of the commentary, from the middle of Parashat Noach until the middle of Parashat Ki Tetze; lacking leaves in the middle.
Lengthy marginal glosses in a different hand (Oriental, Persian), presumably not part of the original work. Many glosses are signed at the end: "David son of Yitzchak".
Sefer HaRemazim is an anthology of allusions and commentaries from early Ashkenazic Torah scholars, compiled by R. Yoel, a Torah scholar from the Beit Midrash of R. Yehuda HaChassid in Germany. The only known manuscripts of this work are from Yemen, where it was extensively copied and used. The work was only first published in 2001.
[72] leaves. 30 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains and dark stains. Tears and open tears, affecting text. Unbound.
Volume comprising handwritten copyings of several works. [Yemen], 1872.
The volume comprises: • Three Megillot – Shir HaShirim, Ruth and Kohelet, with Targum and Rashi. • Kav HaYashar. • Ibur HaShanim, with tables of year cycles. • Sefer HaBal'i – on zodiacs and eclipses. • Pitron Chalomot and Sefer HaGoralot L'Achitofel. • Other additions.
Semi-cursive script. A colorful, decorated title page precedes the Three Megillot (with the date of writing); ornaments in red ink to titles of several works. Diagrams and tables in several places.
Marginal glosses and additions. Birth records and ownership inscriptions from various periods on the endpapers and in several places in the volume.
[1], 37, [1] leaves; 66 leaves; 39-88 leaves; [2] leaves. 22.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Wear and tears. Worming, affecting text. Original leather binding, worn and slightly damaged.
Manuscript, sermons and eulogies, by an unidentified author. [Aleppo, 19th century].
Oriental script.
Inscription in later hand on endpaper, attributing the book to the rabbi of Aleppo, and requesting that it be published.
[14] leaves. 18.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Marginal tears. Leaves trimmed close to text in some places, with damage to text. Old binding, damaged.
Four leaves (6 pages) handwritten by R. Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, the Ben Ish Chai. [Baghdad, ca. second half of 19th century].
Notes for a homily composed by the Ben Ish Chai, presumably a eulogy for the passing of a young boy, with commentaries on the saying of the sages comparing the passing of young boys to the destruction of the Temple, and more.
On the last page, several lines before the end, the Ben Ish Chai blesses: "May G-d come to our assistance".
[4] leaves (two written on both sides, two written on one side; altogether 6 autograph pages). Approx. 13 cm. Good condition. Some stains. New, elegant leather binding.
Leaf (two written pages, some 37 lines) handwritten by R. Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, the Ben Ish Chai. [Baghdad, ca. second half of 19th century].
Handwritten by the author, with emendations and deletions. Section of a sermon; with kabbalistic allusions on the verse "So shall you bless the children of Israel".
[1] leaf (2 pages). 13 cm. Good condition. New, elegant binding.
Collection of leaves handwritten by R. Rafael Chaim Moshe Benaim (HaRav HaRachman):
1. Letter on postcard in Ladino in his handwriting and with his signature. 1911.
2. Polemic draft letter in his handwriting (see enclosed material).
3. Draft in his handwriting, poetic section regarding Shabbat.
4. Three leaves with outlines of sermons (one dated Shemini 1908).
R. Rafael Chaim Moshe Benaim (1845-1920), leading rabbi in his times. Raised in Eretz Israel, he later moved to Gibraltar, where he served as rabbi for forty years.
[7] leaves + postcard. Size varies. Overall fair-good condition. Stains, tears and wear.