Siddur Nehora HaShalem, year-round prayers, laws and customs, with corrections to the prayer texts and blessings by the Gaon of Vilna. Vilna and Horodna: R. Menachem Mann son of R. Baruch and R. Simcha Zissel son of R. Menachem Nachum, 1827. Fourth edition.
Two title pages. Heading on leaf [5]: "Corrections to the texts of the prayers and blessings by Rabbenu Eliyahu".
The Nehora HaShalem siddur is a prominent siddur, comprising commentaries, selections and kavanot, with essays on the importance of prayer and more. The authors and compilers are R. Yechiel Michel son of R. Akatriel HaLevy and his son R. Aharon HaLevy of Mikhalishok. The siddur was widely accepted, and received approbations by prominent Torah leaders, including Chassidic leaders. It was therefore printed in several places, including Berditchev and Slavita. The editor, R. Aharon HaLevy, later sold the rights to this siddur to the printer R. Menachem Mann son of R. Baruch of Vilna (see the sale contract printed in the Avodat HaLev edition of Siddur Nehora, Vilna and Horodna, 1819).
This edition was proofread by R. Tzemach Segal Landau of Vilna, who added his commentary Iyun Tefillah. The siddur includes many additions, including: Tikkunei Shabbat, Passover Haggadah with commentaries, and the priestly blessing (on final two leaves).

[21], 2-315, 9, [3] leaves. 17.5 cm. Mostly printed on fine, light-colored greenish paper. Good condition. Stains, including large dark stains to some leaves. New leather binding (incorporating parts of original leather binding).

Rivkind maintains that the siddur was printed in Aziory, a town near Horodna, where the press of the partners from Vilna and Horodna operated for some time. Yaari however rejects his claim. See: Y. Rivkind, Regarding the Aziory Printing Press, Kiryat Sefer, IX, 1932-1933, pp. 523-526; Ch. Lieberman, Regarding the Tefillat Nehora HaShalem Siddur, Ohel Rachel, I, New York, 1980, p. 366-368; A. Yaari, HaDfus HaIvri BeBerditchev, Kiryat Sefer, XXI, 1944-1945, p. 109; Y. Yudlov, HaDfus HaIvri BeOstroh – Additions and Corrections, Alei Sefer, III, 1977, p. 131.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 478. This edition is not listed in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book.
Provenance: Collection of Yeshaya Vinograd, Jerusalem. The present siddur is among the few extant copies of the 1827 edition, it was offered at Kedem, auction 76, Books of the Gaon of Vilna and His Disciples, item no. 155.

The Book of Mishlei, with a commentary by Immanuel son of Shlomo of Rome. [Naples: Joseph son of Jacob Ashkenazi Gunzenhauser, ca. 1487]. First edition. Incunable.
This is apparently the first printing of the Book of Mishlei, or at least the first dated printing (there are fragments of a Bible edition which some conjecture was printed in Spain or Portugal before the expulsion, but those fragments are undated, see: A.K. Offenberg, Hebrew Incunabula in Public Collections, Nieuwkoop: De Graaf, 1990, no. 33).
The rest of the Ketuvim, with various commentaries, were also printed in the same year (in different parts), in Gunzenhauser's press.
The Scriptural text is printed in vocalized , square letters (marking Rafe letters). The commentary is printed in semi-cursive ("Rashi") script.
Initial word "Mishlei" on p. [1a] set in fine, woodcut decorative panel.
The first leaf opens with the commentator's words: "Says Immanuel son of R. Yaakov [sic; Shlomo] of blessed memory: After praising God for His many delights and all His favors to me, I will say that this book, called Mishlei, was composed by King Solomon, peace be upon him, to provide additional explanation as to the secrets and hidden things of the Torah… And this is what he meant by beginning the book, 'To understand parable and interpretation, the words of the sages and their riddles' – that is, to impart understanding to people who did not understand them…".
Colophon on the last leaf: "The Book of Mishlei with the long and nice commentary of R. Immanuel of blessed memory is completed. Praise is fitting to Him Who rides [heaven] and moves it without wearying, Amen. I, Chaim son of Yitzchak HaLevi Ashkenazi" (presumably, he worked as a proofreader at the printing press).

Immanuel son of Shlomo of Rome, Jewish poet and satirist and author of commentaries on the Bible. Born in Rome in 1261 and passed away in 1330. After becoming impoverished he left his native land and roamed through Italy, until he found shelter with a patron in Parma, with whose support he composed his writings. He is known particularly for his work Machbarot Immanuel, an anthology consisting of twenty-eight chapters ("Machbarot") produced by him. The book contains lengthy Maqams, integrated with songs, stories, and allegories in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance, but his commentaries to the Bible have been almost totally forgotten. His commentary to the Book of Mishlei is his only Biblical commentary that has been printed (the rest of his Biblical commentaries remain in manuscript, and only small portions of them were printed later on).
In the present edition, there are numerous printing errors – repeated or omitted words and lines (on page [46] there is a handwritten restoration of two verses missing from chapter 15), vowels printed in the wrong places, a mistake in the name of the father of the commentary's author (Yaakov instead of Shlomo), and more. For further information on the author of the commentary and the edition, see: Preface by D. Goldstein, Facsimile Edition of the Book of Mishlei with the Commentary of Immanuel of Rome, Jerusalem, 1981, pp. 7-17.
Handwritten corrections and notations within the text and in the margins in several places.

Complete copy. [104] leaves. Collation: i-x8, xi10, xii8, xiii6. 24.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains (numerous large stains to some leaves). Tears affecting text, without loss. Large open tears across margins of several pages, not affecting text, repaired with paper filling (it may be that these leaves were replaced from another copy). Early leather binding, restored. Damage to binding.

The printer Joseph Gunzenhauser established his printing press in Naples, ca. 1487, where he and his son Azriel printed some 13 books. See: Y. Yudlov, A Document Regarding the Sale of Incunabula in Naples in the Fifteenth Century, Asufot, X, 1997, pp. 74-87; A.K. Offenberg, Hebrew Incunabula in Public Collections, Nieuwkoop: De Graaf, 1990, no. 43.
Formerly in Dr. Israel Mehlman's private collection.

Shaarei Teshuvah, by Rabbeinu Yonah "HaChassid" of Gerondi. [Fano: Gershom Soncino Press, ca. 1504]. First edition.
Printed without title page. At the top of the first leaf: "Shaarei Teshuvah by the pious Rabbeinu Yonah of blessed memory".
The first edition of Rabbeinu Yonah's famous book, and one of the most important works of Jewish ethics. The book has been printed over the years in nearly a hundred editions.
Shaarei Teshuvah deals with the fundamental issues of repentance and atonement for sins, and it is one of the famous classic books on the precept of repentance. The book contains four chapters. The first chapter delineates the actions required of the sinner coming to repent. The second chapter deals with various factors that bring a person to repent. The third chapter is comprised of a detailed description of dozens of commandments and sins, ordered by severity. The fourth and final chapter mentions different types of atonement for various sins. Shaarei Teshuvah, in the form familiar to us, was originally part of a larger and more comprehensive work that included other chapters (which in Hebrew are referred to as "gates", and are mentioned occasionally in the book), but these "gates" have not come down to us.
The author, Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerondi (ca. 1210-1263), one of the great medieval Torah authorities, was a rabbi in Catalonia and a central and influential figure in Spanish Jewish life in the 13th century. He was known in his lifetime as a great preacher and one of the important Talmudic commentators (the novellae he wrote on several tractates have been mostly lost). His fame for the ages derives in large part from the ethical books he wrote, including Iggeret HaTeshuvah, Sefer HaYirah and first and foremost Shaarei Teshuvah. Shaarei Teshuvah had much influence even in the author's own time, and in subsequent generations it was a recognized influence on various different authors.
See further on Rabbeinu Yonah and his writings: Y.M. Ta-Shma, Ashkenazic Pietism in Spain: Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerondi – the Man and His Work, Studies in Medieval Rabbinic Literature, Volume 2: Spain, Bialik Institute, Jerusalem, 2004, pp. 109-148.
The work "Mussar Haskel BiMelitzah" by Rav Hai Gaon is printed at the end of the work (printed in tandem by Gershom Soncino in Fano, 1504, in a smaller format), as well as Sefer HaYirah by Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerondi (first printed in the book Halichot Olam, Leiria, ca. 1495).
One-line colophon on the last leaf: "In the city of Fano by the youngest of the typesetters of the Soncino family".
Glosses and several handwritten corrections in a few places, some of them in Sephardic-Italian script (characteristic of Livorno ca. 18th century; resembling the handwriting of the Kabbalist R. Yosef Ergas or his student R. Malachi HaKohen).
Italian ownership inscriptions of Moises Gutiérrez Peña (presumably from Livorno, see enclosed material) at the beginning and the end of the book.

[45] leaves. [1] blank leaf lacking at beginning of book. Approx. 20 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Worming, slightly affecting text, partially repaired with paper filling. Stamps. New leather binding.

Year of publication following Yudlov, Ginzei Yisrael, no. 973.
The book was printed by the renowned Jewish printer Gershom Soncino, one of the most prominent Hebrew printers in Italy. Soncino traveled with his family and printing equipment through various Italian cities, printing Hebrew books wherever he stayed.

Sefer HaMitzvot by the Rambam, translated from Judeo-Arabic to Hebrew by R. Moshe ibn Tibbon. [Constantinople: printer not indicated, ca. 1510-1525]. First edition.
Printed without a title page.
The translator's introduction on the first leaf: "Says Moshe son of Shmuel son of Yehudah ibn Tibbon of Granada: This important composition was authored by the distinguished rabbi, the great luminary who enlightened the eyes of the diaspora, our teacher and master Moshe servant of G-d, son of the distinguished Rabbi Maimon of blessed memory…".
Initial letter Alef on p. [1a] set in fine, woodcut decorative panel.
This item is the first edition of the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot, one of the most important works listing the Mitzvot of the Middle Ages. The book, written originally in Judeo-Arabic, was supposed to serve as a sort of introduction to the Rambam's great halachic work, Mishneh Torah. Sefer HaMitzvot includes a detailed list of the 613 commandments – 248 positive commandments, and 365 negative commandments – the number of commandments of the Written Torah, according to tradition. Before listing the commandments, the Rambam prefaces an introduction composed of fourteen "roots" – rules serving as the basis for his method of counting the Mitzvot. The Rambam later expressed dissatisfaction for not having composed the work in Hebrew: "I very much regret having composed it in the Arabic language, because everyone needs to read it, and I am now waiting to translate it to the holy tongue, with the help of the Almighty" (Letters of the Rambam, Y. Sheilat edition, Jerusalem, 1995, Responsum to Tyre regarding counting the Mitzvot, p. 223). R. Moshe ibn Tibbon's translation of the book was the common Hebrew translation of the book for many years.
The researcher R. Chaim Heller, in the introduction to his edition of the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot, Piotrków, 1914, writes that in subsequent editions of the book the printers made many changes, intending to fix mistakes, while in fact creating many errors in the original text of Tibbon's translation.

[68] leaves. 21 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including light dampstains and traces of dampness on the margins of some leaves. Open tears at the margins of several leaves, not affecting the text, repaired with paper filling. Some worming. Early leather binding with a new spine. Damage to binding.

A. Yaari, Hebrew Printing at Constantinople, no. 80.

Sermons on the Torah portions, by R. Yehoshua ibn Shuaib. Constantinople: [printer not indicated, 1523]. First edition.
Printed without title page. The name of the author is not mentioned in the body of the work.
Initial word "Bereshit" on p. [1a] set in fine, woodcut decorative panel.
The author, R. Yehoshua ibn Shuaib (ca. 1280 – ca. 1340), was a Spanish Torah scholar in the early 14th century. A disciple of the Rashba, colleague of the Ritva and teacher of R. Menachem ben Zerach author of Tzedah LaDerech. He was renowned primarily for this book of sermons, which is arranged in order of the Torah portions and festivals (these are presumably sermons he delivered on Shabbat), and includes discussions on halachic and aggadic topics, commentaries to the Talmud and midrash, and words of ethics and kabbalah.
Colophon on final leaf, stating that the book was completed in Constantinople on Friday, 12th Adar 1523.
Signature on the title page: "Yehuda Mendola 1718" – R. Yehuda Mendola (d. 1752), rabbi in Padua, Rovigo and Mantua in the first half of the 18th century. He was a disciple and colleague of the Ramchal, who taught him kabbalah. He defended and supported the Ramchal during the polemic surrounding him.
A few glosses on several leaves, in Italian script, possibly handwritten by R. Yehuda Mendola.
Censorship expurgation appears on one leaf. A censorship inscription is found on the final leaf, written by the censor Vincentius de Matelica and dated October 1619. The inscription states that the book was authorized under the instruction of Fra. Arcangelo da Foligno.

[126] leaves. Gathering number at top of leaves, and sheet number at foot of leaves. Collation: i7, ii-xv8, xvi7. Due to binding error in gathering xv of this copy, extra copies of first and final leaves of this gathering replace leaves 2 and 7. Final leaf of gathering iv bound after leaf 7 of gathering v. Final two leaves of gathering viii bound after second leaf of this gathering. Leaf 7 of gathering ix blank (lacking in some copies). 26.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Many stains, including dampstains and wax stains. Worming. Tears, including open tears to first leaf and in several other places, repaired with paper (close to engraved border on first leaf). New binding.

Provenance: Estate of Prof. Ephraim Elimelech Urbach.