Tehillim, with vocalization and cantillation marks, divided for the seven days of the week. Venice: Zuan di Gara, 1590.
Fine ornamental title border. The title page reads: "Give a share to each day of the week" (printed in the center). Index leaves at the end of the volume divide the Psalms according to the days of the week.
Fine copy. 73, [3] leaves. Approx. 15 cm. Good condition. Stains (including dark stains to several leaves). Handwritten inscriptions (in Latin). Early leather binding, with gilt decorations.
Listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book based on the copy in the Schocken Library.
Habermann, HaMadpis Zuan di Gara, no. 12.

Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuvim translated to Spanish – Biblia en lengua Española traduzida palabra por palabra de la verdad Hebrayca, por muy excelentes letrados vista y examinada por el officio de la Inquisicion. Amsterdam: Joseph Athias, 1661. Spanish.
Fine engraved title page.
The translation in this edition is based on the famous Ferrara Bible – first complete translation of the Bible to Spanish, first printed in Ferrara in 1553. The present edition was corrected and underwent further proofreading by R. Samuel de Cazeres.
[16], 639, 642-786, 789-1325, [6] pages. Approx. 19 cm. Light-colored, high-quality paper. Good condition. Minor stains. Open tear to one endpaper. Handwritten inscription on title page. Original parchment binding (rebound), damaged and partially detached.
Seventeenth-century Amsterdam was home to a large Sephardi community. Most of its members were descendants of Marranos who emigrated from Spain and Portugal a century after the expulsion. The present Bible was printed for the members of this community who had lost familiarity with the Hebrew language.

Leaf fragments of a printed siddur with laws in Ladino. Salonika, [1569]. Printer unknown.
Leaf fragments (presumably found in a binding), from a siddur titled Tehillot Yisrael, printed in Salonika. The number of leaves in the original siddur is unknown.
Eight leaves: first leaf with the heading "Tehillot Yisrael", followed by a foreword in Ladino regarding the contents of the siddur (order of blessings, prayers for festivals, laws and more). The foreword extends over the next two leaves. The third leaf contains an interesting afterword by the printer (in Rashi script, Hebrew), mentioning the date and place of printing (see below). The following leaves contain supplications, blessings for Tallit and Tefillin and the beginning of the morning blessings.
In his afterword, the printer explains that the laws and instructions are usually printed in siddurim in the Holy Tongue, in "Provencal" script (Rashi script), which leads to errors amongst those who don't understand the language or can't read Rashi script (indeed, the instructions in these leaves are printed in square script, in Ladino): "I… adjure all printers… that all the siddurim they print from now on should use only this translation, so that they benefit the public and merit the blessing of good. What good are instructions… in the Holy Tongue and in Provencal script for those who don't know the script nor the language? One often hears people saying the prayer of Passover on Sukkot, and many similar occurrences, based on misunderstanding the siddur, and now with this order, it will be useful to everyone… I named it Tehillot Yisrael, and the printing began on Thursday, Rosh Chodesh Adar, 1569, Salonika".
Prof. Yeshayahu Sonne first publicized the existence of this siddur, based on leaf fragments found in the binding of an early book in Ancona (see: Y. Sonne, Siddur with Laws in Ladino, Salonica 1569, Kiryat Sefer XI, 1934-1935, p. 134). Sonne describes two leaves (corresponding to two of the present leaves), and writes that he was unable to separate and examine the rest of the leaves. The leaves he saw may have been the present leaves, and if so – these are the only known extant fragments of this siddur (Dov HaKohen, in his soon to be published book, Otzar HaSefarim BeLadino, Ben Zvi Institute, records this siddur based on Sonne's article only).
[8] leaves. 12.5 cm. Fair-poor condition. Stains. Many open tears and worming, with significant damage to text. All leaves repaired with paper and remargined (leaves were originally smaller). Bound in a new leather binding.

Tikkun for every night and day – A Sabbatian order of Tikkunim compiled by Nathan of Gaza, "prophet" of the false messiah Shabbatai Tzvi. Amsterdam: Uri Phoebus son of Aharon HaLevi, [1666].
Pocket-size, with original binding. Additional engraved title page, with Sabbatian allusions to the Redemption, including a royal crown inscribed "Ateret Tzvi".
A foreword describing the news of the Redemption was printed on the verso of the title page (Gershom Scholem suggests that the foreword may have been composed by R. Shlomo de Oliveyra). The Tikkun was compiled by Nathan of Gaza, yet his name is not mentioned on the title pages of the Hebrew editions (Gershom Scholem writes that he saw a Spanish edition, where the name of the editor "Nathan Ashkenazi" was mentioned on the title page).
Additional compositions, p. 94b onwards: Note for penitents from the book [Shenei] Luchot HaBrit; poem relating to Psalm 126 (by R. Shlomo de Oliveyra); order of ritual immersion; acceptance of a voluntary fast; note for a fast day, with Vidui (confession); order of the four Beit Din capital punishments; sacrifice for a fast day; laws of repentance from the Roke'ach; and the Yedid Nefesh supplication by R. Elazar Azikri.
The present book of Tikkunim was published at the pinnacle of the mass movement of repentance which swept through the Jewish people upon hearing Shabbatai Tzvi's tidings of the Redemption and that which was occurring around him, which spread rapidly from the East to other European Jewish communities. Amsterdam was one of the important centers of Sabbatian awakening at that time, and many editions of Sabbatian Tikkunim were printed there by the local Jewish printers (Joseph Athias, David de Castro Tartas and Uri Phoebus son of R. Aharon HaLevi). Their publication in Amsterdam was presumably also for the purpose of being sent throughout Europe. The Amsterdam printers competed over who could produce more complete and beautiful editions of the books of Tikkunim, and Amsterdam Torah scholars (in particular R. Yitzchak Aboab de Fonseca and R. Shlomo de Oliveyra) even inserted some important additions in some editions, including sections of prayers, confessions and songs.
The present edition is unique for its engraved title page, containing Sabbatian allusions (G. Scholem lists at least three such editions, with different engraved title pages; this engraving is not mentioned by Scholem). A royal crown, with the words "Ateret Tzvi", is featured at the top of the title page, flanked on each side by trumpet-blowing cherubs. Beneath the crown, an open book inscribed "Tikkun Keriah LeYom VeLayla" and men playing various instruments. At the bottom, a structure and a burning altar. A turbaned figure stands beside the altar, greeted by a group of people. The group is headed by two turbaned, priestly-clad men (one of the figures may represent Shabbatai Tzvi).
For more information about the spread of the Sabbatian movement in Amsterdam, and the printing of books of Tikkunim, see: G. Scholem, Sabbatai Sevi, Princeton University Press, 1973 pp. 518-545.
Ownership inscriptions on the endpapers: "abram foa", "deiana foa".
106 leaves. 11.5 cm. Most leaves in good condition. Stains. Several tears. Hole to final two leaves, slightly affecting text. Margins trimmed close to text on one leaf. Leather and wood binding, with clasp (second clasp partially lacking). Wear and damage to boards and spine.

Year-round siddur, following the Sephardi rite – siddur for weekdays, Shabbat and festivals. Amsterdam: Naftali Hertz Levi, [1739].
Miniature siddur. Fine copy, with original, decorated vellum binding. The siddur belonged to a Jewish Russian officer killed in the Crimean War (see below).
The first title page states that the book was printed "on commission of the brothers… sons of R. Meir Crescas", "in the press of the wealthy… Naftali Hertz Levi". On its verso, an introduction by R. Meir Crescas: "I saw in Amsterdam a miniature siddur, in tiny non-vocalized type, which the boys had difficulty reading, and I felt their anguish. I [therefore] printed this siddur… like no other, in small, thin type, with new, beautiful vocalization marks".
Separate title page on leaf 223: "Prayers for Festivals – Sephardi rite".
The front endpaper bears a handwritten inscription (in English): "Found in the possession of a Jewish Russian officer in the Crimea, who was killed at the Battle of Alma – Presented to the Rev. Dr. Adler by Dr. Karl Lehfeldt".
The Battle of the Alma took place on 20th September 1854, as part of the Crimean war fought in the mid-19th century between the Russian Empire and an alliance made up of the Ottoman Empire, the British Empire, the French Empire and Sardinia.
As stated in the inscription, the siddur, which first belonged to a Jewish Russian officer killed at that battle, was gifted to R. Natan Marcus Adler – chief rabbi of the British Empire, by his brother-in-law Dr. Karl Lehfeldt of Berlin (reputedly, for 50 years he was the only doctor in Berlin who refused to drive on Shabbat, unless in cases of life and death). Stamp of "J.J. Krimke – Stiftsrabbiner – Hannover" on p. 222b, the blank page before the second title page.
318 leaves. Approx. 6 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Several inscriptions. Fine, original vellum binding. Gilt edges. Placed in a (new) slipcase.
Several variants of this edition are listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book.
Provenance: Valmadonna Trust Library.