Auction 53 - Rare and Important Items
Manuscript, Sha'ar Ma'amarei HaZohar - Algiers, 1762 - Signatures and Colophons
Opening: $4,000
Unsold
Manuscript, Sha'ar Ma'amarei HaZohar, "copied from the manuscript of Rabbi Chaim Vital letter by letter". [Algiers, 1762].
Especially charming scribal handwriting, with marginalia in another handwriting (most correcting omissions. On page 145/a is a gloss (which was not printed), signed "Moshe Shapira". At the end are articles on Midrashei Chazal. On page 148/a is an ownership colophon: "This book Sha'ar Ma'amarei HaZohar... Belongs to R. Aharon son of the learned clever R. Avraham Muati", and on the next page (148/b) is the scribe's colophon: "I, the young man Ya'akov son of the learned clever R. Shalom Basis", dated Shevat 1762. Ownership inscription signed by "David Muati", signed "I.Y.T.N." and an inscription of lending the book by its owner, R. Moshe Sheldira.
R. Aharon son of R. Avraham Muati (1736-1772), Algerian sage, Dayan and Kabbalist. Author of Korban Aharon printed in Livorno in 1773 after his untimely death at the age of 36. In his introduction to the book, the author R. Aharon Muati is described as "a perfect sage, excellent Dayan, pious and humble, G-d fearing R. Aharon…Muati…". (See Malchei Yeshurun, pp. 158-160).
R. Aharon Muati had a library of Kabbalistic manuscripts. In addition to the manuscript offered here, two other manuscripts from this library are known; both copies from from Shmona She'arim of R. Chaim Vital. In the book Malchei Yeshurun on the history of Algerian sages (p. 158), is a picture of a title page in his handwriting of the book Sha'ar Ta'amei HaMitzvot, and In the Lubavitch library (Manuscript no. 1497) is a manuscript of the book Sha'ar Kavanot written in Tunis in 1759 by R. Yosef Busha'ara "by the behest of R. Aharon Muati". A listing of that manuscript appears in the book M'Beit HaGenazim (Brooklyn, 2010, p. 229).
On the last leaf before the back cover is an interesting shtar from 1795, handwritten and signed by Rabbi "Yitzchak Abulachir", Rabbi of Algiers, who attests to the terms of distribution of the manuscripts from the rabbi's library: "I attest that at the time the rabbi's books were divided between R. David Muati and R. Shalom Portuguese, an explicit condition was stipulated between both that each one would be able to copy any book owned by the other and each would be obligated to give the other to copy, without any refusal or delay…".
R. Yitzchak son of Yosef Abulachir, Rabbi of Algiers, was murdered by the authorities in 1815 following slander and the interests of the ruler in the war of rights among the rich Algerian Jews (see: A. Morgenstein, HaShiva L'Yerushalayim, Jerusalem, 2007, pp. 264-265; see Malchei Yeshurun, p. 20).
148 leaves + blank leaves [one with the abovementioned Shtar signed by R. Yitzchak Abulachir]. 23.5 cm. Attractive calligraphic writing, with wide margins. High-quality paper. Fair condition, worming affecting text. Stains and wear. Ancient leather binding, slightly damaged.
Especially charming scribal handwriting, with marginalia in another handwriting (most correcting omissions. On page 145/a is a gloss (which was not printed), signed "Moshe Shapira". At the end are articles on Midrashei Chazal. On page 148/a is an ownership colophon: "This book Sha'ar Ma'amarei HaZohar... Belongs to R. Aharon son of the learned clever R. Avraham Muati", and on the next page (148/b) is the scribe's colophon: "I, the young man Ya'akov son of the learned clever R. Shalom Basis", dated Shevat 1762. Ownership inscription signed by "David Muati", signed "I.Y.T.N." and an inscription of lending the book by its owner, R. Moshe Sheldira.
R. Aharon son of R. Avraham Muati (1736-1772), Algerian sage, Dayan and Kabbalist. Author of Korban Aharon printed in Livorno in 1773 after his untimely death at the age of 36. In his introduction to the book, the author R. Aharon Muati is described as "a perfect sage, excellent Dayan, pious and humble, G-d fearing R. Aharon…Muati…". (See Malchei Yeshurun, pp. 158-160).
R. Aharon Muati had a library of Kabbalistic manuscripts. In addition to the manuscript offered here, two other manuscripts from this library are known; both copies from from Shmona She'arim of R. Chaim Vital. In the book Malchei Yeshurun on the history of Algerian sages (p. 158), is a picture of a title page in his handwriting of the book Sha'ar Ta'amei HaMitzvot, and In the Lubavitch library (Manuscript no. 1497) is a manuscript of the book Sha'ar Kavanot written in Tunis in 1759 by R. Yosef Busha'ara "by the behest of R. Aharon Muati". A listing of that manuscript appears in the book M'Beit HaGenazim (Brooklyn, 2010, p. 229).
On the last leaf before the back cover is an interesting shtar from 1795, handwritten and signed by Rabbi "Yitzchak Abulachir", Rabbi of Algiers, who attests to the terms of distribution of the manuscripts from the rabbi's library: "I attest that at the time the rabbi's books were divided between R. David Muati and R. Shalom Portuguese, an explicit condition was stipulated between both that each one would be able to copy any book owned by the other and each would be obligated to give the other to copy, without any refusal or delay…".
R. Yitzchak son of Yosef Abulachir, Rabbi of Algiers, was murdered by the authorities in 1815 following slander and the interests of the ruler in the war of rights among the rich Algerian Jews (see: A. Morgenstein, HaShiva L'Yerushalayim, Jerusalem, 2007, pp. 264-265; see Malchei Yeshurun, p. 20).
148 leaves + blank leaves [one with the abovementioned Shtar signed by R. Yitzchak Abulachir]. 23.5 cm. Attractive calligraphic writing, with wide margins. High-quality paper. Fair condition, worming affecting text. Stains and wear. Ancient leather binding, slightly damaged.
Rare and Important Items
Rare and Important Items