Manuscript, anthology of works on sample letters and language, by Moroccan Torah scholars. [Morocco, 18th century].
Cursive Maghrebi script.
The manuscript comprises two anthologies of sample letters and poetic expressions titled Leshon Limudim: Leshon Limudim by R. Yaakov Ibn Tzur – the Yaavetz, with letters by other Moroccan Torah scholars (some unpublished); and Leshon Limudim by R. Shaul Serero; followed by Leshon Chachamim by R. Yitzchak son of Yehuda HaKohen Rappaport – dictionary of rhyming expressions.
R. Shaul son of R. Matityah Serero, (the third) was a Fez Torah scholar in the second half of the 18th century. He is mentioned in this manuscript as amongst the living. His work is presumably unpublished.
Bound at the beginning of the manuscript: decorated leaf not connected to the manuscript, from a work on the Hebrew calendar, with an illustration of a hand, and the date 1776.
Ornamental tailpiece at the end of the manuscript, featuring a pair of birds, and the inscription: "Yosef Yitzchak Assayag".

[1], 54; [4], 5, 7–20, [1] leaves (including several blank leaves). 20 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Worming with some damage to text. Tears and open tears, affecting text. Inscriptions and signatures. New binding.

Exhibition:
• Arts et cultures du Maroc. Marie–Rose Rabaté, André Goldenberg. Paris, c2004, p. 262 / p.289.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, MO.011.015.

Manuscript, Tahir shel Pesach [laws of Passover]. [Morocco, 18th/19th century].
Square and semi–cursive script. Comprised of two manuscripts (switches over in the middle of the translation of the Haftarah for the second day of Passover, several lines duplicate). Both parts are finely decorated, partially in color, in typical Moroccan style, and include carpet pages and architectonic ornaments.
At the beginning of the manuscript, leaf with letter on business matters in Judeo–Arabic, in semi–cursive script.

Tahir shel Pesach is a composition recited in North African communities during Passover, containing a halachic piyyut of the laws of Passover, in the Holy Tongue with Judeo–Arabic translation (paragraph by paragraph); other piyyutim in Judeo–Arabic and translation of the Passover haftarot.

[26] leaves. Lacking end. Approx. 14 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears and open tears, affecting text, repaired in part with paper. Inscriptions. New binding.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, MO.011.026.

Manuscript, Passover Haggadah and Tahir shel Pesach. Outat El Haj (Morocco), 19th century.
The manuscript is decorated throughout with many ornaments, including title pages and carpet pages typical of Moroccan manuscript ornamentation.
The Haggadah is followed by Tahir shel Pesach, recited by the North–African communities during Passover. The work includes a halachic piyyut on the laws of Pesach in the Holy Tongue with Judeo–Arabic translation (paragraph by paragraph), other piyyutim in Judeo–Arabic and translation of the Pesach haftarot.
Writer's colophon at the end of the Haggadah (p. [22]b), with his calligraphic signature.

[89] leaves. 18 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears and open tears, affecting text in several places. Several detached leaves. Inscriptions. New binding, covered in leather from an old binding (original?). Card slipcase.

Exhibition: Yeshiva University Museum, New York, "The Sephardic Journey: 1492–1992", 1990–1992. See exhibition catalog, p. 297, no. 403.
Exhibitions:
• Yeshiva University Museum, New York, "The Sephardic Journey: 1492–1992", 1990–1992. ראו קטלוג התערוכה, מס' 403, עמ' 297 .
• Andre Goldenberg, Art and Jews of Morocco, Paris, 2014, p. 217.
• Julie–Marthe Cohen, Joden onder de Islam / Jews under Islam, 1993, p. 117.
• Esther Shkalim, A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions, 2006, p. 180.
• The Moroccan Jewry Haggadah: Passover Haggadah, Naomi Shapira, Kfar HaOranim, 2015, p. 28–29.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, MO.011.009.

Manuscript, piyyutim and songs for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and more. [Morocco, 1916].
Western script. The manuscript is decorated throughout with fine ornaments, in typical Moroccan style, colored in orange and green hues. Including 14 pages decorated with carpets and architectonic borders comprising horseshoe arches.
Includes piyyutim for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, complementing the North–African machzor for the High Holidays (with references to the machzor). Scribe's colophon on p. [21a], with his calligraphic signature, and the date of completion: Monday 5th Tishrei 1916.
Several additional leaves bound after the colophon, with various piyyutim.

[31] leaves. 15 cm. Good–fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Worming, slightly affecting text. Tears and minor open tears, slightly affecting text, repaired in part with tape. Fine, new leather binding (with ornaments copied from manuscript).

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, MO.011.022.

Manuscript, Hillula Rabba, study order for the night of Lag BaOmer in honor of R. Shimon bar Yochai. Tangier (Morocco), 1859–1869.
Masterfully illustrated colorful manuscript. Title page with an ornamental border and floral illustrations. The book title is also decorated with flowers. Other colorful ornaments and illustrations throughout the book (vases and flowers). Neat semi–cursive Sephardic script.
The date of the manuscript – 1859, is inscribed in the title page border. Includes piyyutim in honor of R. Shimon bar Yochai, Birkat HaIlanot and Petichat Eliyahu.
Three leaves in a different hand with the Birkat HaChamah order were added at the end of the manuscript. Dated 1869 on the final page.

Illustrated manuscripts originating from Tangier are exceptionally rare.

[23] leaves. 14.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor tears. Open tear to final leaf, not affecting text. New binding.

Exhibition:
• Sacred Places. Pilgrimages in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Chris de Lauwer (editor), MAS Museum aan de Stroom, Antwerp (19 September 2014 – 18 January 2015), p. 171.
See:
• El Presente. Estudios sobre la cultura sefardí. Edited by Tamar Alexander and Yaakov Bentolila 2008, p.54.
• Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World (Leiden, 2010).

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, MO.011.065.