Four books with signatures, ancient stamps, glosses and owners' inscriptions of rabbis descending from Or Shraga family of Yazd (Persia): · Kol Shmuel commentary on the Torah, by Rabbi Shmuel Conforti. Salonika, [1787]. Single edition. · Brit Ya'akov, homiletics; Yagel Ya'akov on Shita Mekubetzet, by Rabbi Ya'akov Feitusi. Livorno, [1800]. First edition. Added to the end of the book are 4 leaves, from an ancient book of homiletics. · Zechut Avot, commentary on Pirkei Avot, by Rabbi Ya'akov Pintzi. Belgrad, [1878]. Single edition. (Includes cover title page). · Tikunei HaZohar. Livorno, [1854]. On the pages of the book and on the endpapers: Many glosses (Kabbalistic content), signatures, stamps and ownership inscriptions of rabbis of the dynasty of Or Shraga family of Yazd, descendants of the Kabbalist "Mula Or Shraga", a prominent Persian rabbi. Among the signatures: "Moshe son of Rebbe Refael Shraga", "Yitzchak son of R' Moshe…R' Or Shraga…", "…R' Moshe son of Yitzchak grandson of R' Or Shraga", etc. Stamps of Rabbi Moshe son of Rabbi Or Shraga, and his son Rabbi Yitzchak son of Rabbi Moshe son of Rabbi Or Shraga. The illustrious Torah sage Mula [Rabbi] Or Shraga (died in 1794), rabbi and luminary of the Jews of Yazd, Persia, served for decades in the rabbinate and his reinforcement of Torah study and mitzvah adherence preserved Jewish observance among Yazd Jewry in spite of their remoteness from Jewish centers. Mula Or Shraga and his descendants led the local community for about two hundred years. According to hearsay, two hundred and fifty years previously, Rabbi Or Shraga reached Yazd from the city of Isfahan in which the king decreed to kill ten great Torah scholars; seven died sanctifying G-d’s Name and three managed to flee and escape the decree. One of those three was Mula Or Shraga who reached Yazd. His move affected much growth among the city’s Jewry and transformed it into a Torah center. Yazd Jews were among the first to emigrate from Persia to Jerusalem and there they established the famous Yazdim community. The signatures of Rabbi Or Shraga’s grandson Rabbi Yitzchak son of R’ Moshe Or Shraga can be found on bills (shtarot) from 1839-1865, and his son Rabbi Moshe son of R’ Yitzchak Or Shraga served in the rabbinate from 1890-1900. On the title page of the book Brit Ya’akov are more signatures: “Ezra Attie”; “I have acquired it to serve my Creator Sasson Barazani”. 4 books. Size and condition vary, good condition.

Manuscript, Passover Haggadah, with Arabic translation and Piyyutim. [Baghdad? Beginning of the 20th century]. Framed pages. Square cursive writing, unvowelized. At the beginning of the manuscript is the Seder Bedikat Chametz and the laws of Erev Pesach, and the Pesach Arvit prayer. The original and the Arabic translation - paragraph following paragraph. Avadim Hayinu appears directly after Ha Lachma Anya [without Ma Nishtana]. [50] leaves, 15 cm. Fair condition, stains and wear, tears with damage to text in several places. New binding.

"Regulations of Yeshivat Magen Avraham in Jerusalem….". 1913. Ink on paper; colorful stickers. Regulations leaf of Yeshivat Magen Avraham in Jerusalem, for the Bukharin and Uzbek congregations, founded by Yonah, Pinchas, Meir, Hizkiya and Shimon Abrahmof, sons of Yitzchak Abrahmof. Verses written in the shape of an arch on top of the leaf, with two colorful stickers with flowers. 43.5X38 cm. Fair-poor condition. Folding marks. Numerous tears, with damage to text, restored. Stains and creases.

Collection of letter sent from the Bukharian community in Jerusalem, to the Chief Rabbinate regarding various matters. (Testaments, testimonies, monetary debts, appointing guardians, etc.). · Letter from Rabbi Shlomo Musayov to the members of the office of the Chief Rabbinate, since due to his weakness he could not come to the Beit Din and he empowers his attorneys. Adar 1920. · Typewritten copy, of the testament of Rabbi Shlomo Musayov drawn on the 13th of Nissan 1922, at the time he was hospitalized at the Sha'arei Tzedek Hospital. · Authorization of the immersion of a convert from Rabbi Avraham Aminof. Elul 1920. · Letters to the Beit Din concerning debts from Nissim Chai Assarof, Avraham Borochof and Mordechai Yissacharof. 1920-1921. · Five documents of the rabbinical Beit Din in Jerusalem, signed by the dayanim Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Valdenberg, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Rabbi Yosef Kapach, concerning appointing guardians of the donations to the Bukharian community. Jerusalem, 1959, Sivan 1963. [13] leaves. Size and condition vary. Overall good condition.

Manuscript, halachic responsum on the matter of scribal writing of the letter Vav Keti'a in Parshat Pinchas, signed by four Modena rabbis (Italy): Rabbi Menashe Yehoshua son of Rabbi Yehuda Matzliach Padua, Rabbi Moshe Lifschitz, Rabbi Avraham Chai son of Rabbi Netanel Gratziano and Rabbi Yitzchak son of Rabbi Moshe Parmigiani. [Modena, c. 1744]. An argument regarding the writing of the letter Vav of "Briti Shalom" in Parshat Pinchas spread in rabbinic circles in Italy in 1744. The affair began after one of the Rovigo rabbis invalidated a Torah scroll in which the letter Vav in the verse "Briti Shalom" was written like the rest of the letters Vav in the Torah and was not shortened as traditionally done. The question was submitted to Venice rabbis and opinions were divided. Ferrara and Amsterdam rabbis were also involved in the controversy. See enclosed material – article by Rabbi S. Chassida, "Pamphlet on the law of the Vav Keti'a of Shalom", Moriah, Issues 339-340, 2008, pp. 29-56. This responsum is unknown and was not printed in the aforementioned pamphlet. The rabbis who signed the responsum were leading Italian Torah scholars in the first half of the 18th century. The first signature belongs to Rabbi Menashe Yehoshua Padua Rabbi of Modena (c. 1690-1750), son-in-law of the Rabach and brother-in-law of Rabbi Yeshaya Bassan. [His name is mentioned in letters regarding the polemic surrounding the Ramchal a few years previously]. Succeeded his father - Rabbi Yehuda Matzliach - in the Modena rabbinate. Rabbi Menashe Yehoshua Padua signed together with Rabbi Avraham Chai Gratziano an approbation from 1741 to Or HaChaim on the Torah, printed in Venice in 1742. The second signature is by Rabbi Moshe Hirsh Lifschitz (died in 1755), who immigrated to Italy from Chęciny, Poland and taught Torah in Modena. In his books, the Chida quotes Rabbi Lifschitz. For example, in his book Ma’agal Tov, the Chida writes that Rabbi Yishmael HaCohen of Modena showed him various manuscripts including manuscripts of “R’ Moshe Lifschitz of Chęciny”, among which was “a remarkable book on practical kabbalah”. Other signatures by Rabbi Avraham Chai Gratziani and Rabbi Yitzchak Parmigiani, who signed many printed halachic rulings of Modena rabbis. Rabbi Yitzchak Parmigiani later served as Rabbi of Trieste, lived to an old age and died in 1798. Leaf 23 cm. High-quality paper, good-fair condition, stains and wear, burn marks to leaf corners. Provenance: Collection of David Frankel, NY. See page 137.