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Manuscript, sermons delivered by Rabbi Yitzchak Sasportas, with sermons of Rabbi David Abulachir, disciple of Rabbi Shlomo Duran, novellae and commentaries. [Wahrān (Oran, Algeria), c. 1620-1650].
thick impressive volume, written in close Oriental writing, autographic writing, signed in several places "Yitzchak Sasportas" or his initials "Yashpe".
the manuscript is composed of dozens of long interesting sermons delivered by Rabbi Yitzchak Sasportas, mostly in the city of Wahrān (Oran) in Algeria. At the beginning of the sermons are titles with historical details of people and events in his time and of his family members; commentaries and novellae, by Yitzchak Sasportas and other rabbis; a full composition of sermons delivered by his teacher, Rabbi David Abulachir, etc.
Following is a partial description of the content of the manuscript:
At the beginning of the volume is an introduction (incomplete; lacking at its end) followed by sermons: Sermon from 1620 (leaf [11]); sermon from 1625, upon the death of the wife of Rabbi Avraham Sasportas (leaf [37]); sermon upon "the death of my grandfather R' Eliyahu Sasportas" leaf ([89]); sermon on "the death of my teacher – Rabbi David Abulachir "besides the sermon I delivered at his funeral…1650…" (leaf [111]); sermon from 1636 "which I delivered at the festive meal made by…Ya'akov Sasportas… at the joyous occasion…" (leaf [114]); sermon from 1622 "At the chuppah… R' Avraham Sasportas who wed my aunt…" (leaf [115]); sermon from 1628 "which I delivered at the circumcision on the day a son was born to R' Ya'akov Sasportas…named Eliyahu Sasportas…" (leaf [123]); sermon delivered at the wedding meal "of my friend Moshe ben R' Shlomo Sasportas with my sister…" (leaf [103]); "I delivered…Sivan on the day we received the bad tidings of the death of the important wise R' Aharon Kanshino…who was smitten by the Ishmaelites…" (leaf [200]); sermon "at the cemetery…R' Ya'akov Kanshino…1632" (leaf [207); sermon "which I delivered at the synagogue… in Tlemcen in 1639…" (leaf [242]); "I delivered during the drought…1638 in Tlemcen in the Great Synagogue… gathering of the whole congregation" (Leaf [250]); sermon "I delivered after the death of my grandfather…Avraham Sasportas…1647…" (leaf [258]); sermon after the death of "the Woman of Valor Ms. Kamira…wife of my uncle R' Ya'akov Sasportas 1640" (leaf [262]); etc.
In addition to the sermons, the manuscript contains novellae and commentaries. A commentary on Shir HaShirim (leaf [132]), "a commentary on verses" (leaf [249]); "I taught a disciple on the Festival of Shavuot.." (leaf [126]). On leaves [273]-[280] are various compilations, containing Kabbalistic matters; on leaf [281] – "Novellae of secrets and hint which I have heard from R' Amram Tzavan Y.S.Z."; etc.
On leaf [276/b]: "this is what my teacher lectured on Shabbat…1632…at the time we received the tidings of the death of the sage R' Yitzchak Zemiro and R' Shimon Doran".
On leaf [282] are Torah thoughts titled "this I have heard from H. Shmuel Rimon an emissary from Eretz Israel [a sage from the Ma'aravim community that left Jerusalem for North Africa in 1630. See enclosed material].
Another Eretz Israel emissary is mentioned in a special sermon delivered after his death in Wahrān (leaf [259]): "I have delivered this eulogy for a dear elderly man sent as an emissary from Eretz Israel and his name is Moshe HaCohen…he died…in 1627 in Vehran…" [this emissary does not appear in Ya'ari's book Sheluchei Eretz Yisrael, and we have not found any documentation about him].
Inscription of births on leaf [284]: "My firstborn Eliyahu was born…", "My son David was born…".
Poems on leaf [287] and another on leaf 282/b "A poem sent to my teacher R' David Abulachir".
In several places (such as leaf [72/b] and leaf [111/b] are glosses by his son, Rabbi Shlomo Sasportas, who also signs with his initials "S.B.Y." [Shlomo ben Yitzchak].
Composition of sermons by Rabbi David Abulachir: "On leaves [210]-[238], Rabbi Yitzchak Sasportas copied a composition of sermons delivered by his teacher, Rabbi David Abulachir, Rabbi of Wahrān (his eulogy also appears in this manuscript, see above). At the beginning of the composition is a long introduction by the author, Rabbi David Abulachir in which he writes that he has decided to name his composition Chanukat HaBayit. At the end of the introduction, he writes a poem with an acrostic of his name. Written at the top of the pages: "My teacher's sermons". Rabbi Yitzchak added several glosses to this composition ("In my lowly opinion, the small disciple Yitzchak Sasportas…"). Rabbi David Abulachir, close disciple of Rabbi Shlomo Duran, who sent Rabbi David to serve as Rabbi of Wahrān. See enclosed material.
these compositions were never printed or copied to other manuscripts.
the Sasportas family was among the most important families in Algeria. Members of the family served as leaders of the Wahrān and Tlemcen communities. Rabbi Ya'akov was among the prominent Torah scholars of the Sasportas family. Av Beit Din of Amsterdam (1610-1698), he was one of the main opponents of Sabbatai Zevi, author of Tzitzit Novel Zvi. Born in the city of Wahrān, he emigrated in 1628 and served as Rabbi of Tlemcen before his move to Amsterdam.
Very little is known about the Jews and sages of Algeria in the first half of the 17th century, and rabbinical manuscripts from that time are scarce. We are not familiar with the writer, Rabbi Yitzchak Sasportas, disciple of Rabbi David Abulchir, from other sources, but this manuscript shows that he was one of the foremost sages of Algeria and his Torah greatness is apparent from these sermons and novellae. the fact that he was called upon to deliver a sermon in the Tlemcen synagogue during a time of drought can attest to his stature. No doubt, he was a member of the family of Rabbi Ya'akov Sasportas Av Beit Din of Amsterdam, and possibly the name "Ya'akov Sasportas" mentioned in the manuscript is referring to this same rabbi, but we have not been able to ascertain how the two scholars were related. this manuscript is a very valuable source of information regarding the history of Algerian Jews.
[287] leaves. 29 cm. Overall good condition. Stains and wear. Several detached leaves, torn and damaged. Worming. Ancient binding (leather-covered wood), with damages.