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F i n e J u d a i C a . printed booKs, manusCripts, Ceremonial obJeCts & GraphiC art K e s t e n b au m & C om pa n y thursday, Ju ne 25th, 2015 K est e n bau m & C o m pa ny . Auctioneers of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Fine Art A Lot 8 Catalogue of F i n e J u d a i C a . BOOK S, MANUSCRIPTS, GR APHIC & CEREMONIAL A RT INCLUDING A SINGULAR COLLECTION OF EARLY PRINTED HEBREW BOOK S, BIBLICAL & R AbbINIC M ANUSCRIPTS Sold by order of the Execution Office, District High Court, Tel Aviv ——— To be Offered for Sale by Auction, Thursday, 25th June, 2015 at 3:00 pm precisely ——— Viewing Beforehand: Sunday, 21st June - 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm Monday, 22nd June - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Tuesday, 23rd June - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Wednesday, 24th June - 10:00 am - 6:00 pm No Viewing on the Day of Sale This Sale may be referred to as: “Omnia” Sale Number Sixty-Five Illustrated Catalogues: $38 (US) * $45 (Overseas) KestenbauM & CoMpAny Auctioneers of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Fine Art . 242 West 30th street, 12th Floor, new york, NY 10001 • tel: 212 366-1197 • Fax: 212 366-1368 e-mail: [email protected] • World Wide Web site: www.Kestenbaum.net K est e n bau m & C o m pa ny . Chairman: Daniel E. Kestenbaum Operations Manager: Jackie S. Insel Client Relations: Sandra E. Rapoport, Esq. Printed Books & Manuscripts: Rabbi Eliezer Katzman Rabbi Dovid Kamenetsky (Consultant) Ceremonial & Graphic Art: Abigail H. Meyer Catalogue Art Director and Photographer: Anthony Leonardo Auctioneer: Mark O. Howald (NYCDCA License no: 1460490) For all inquiries relating to this sale please contact: Daniel E. Kestenbaum Order of Sale: A Singular Collection Hebrew Manuscripts: Lots 1- 56 Hebrew Printed Books: Lots 57 - 130 Other Properties Printed Books & Manuscripts: Lots 131 - 173 Graphic Art: Lots 174 - 206 Ceremonial Objects: Lots 207 - End of Sale Front Cover Illustration: Lot 9 Back Cover Illustration: Lot 193 List of prices realized will be posted on our Web site, www.kestenbaum.net, following the sale. — A S IN G ULAR C OLLECTION — MANUSCRIPTS (Lots 1-56) 1 ASCHKENAZI, MALKIEL. Tavnith HaMishkan. * AND: Chanukath HaBayith. Two volumes. Autograph Manuscript in Hebrew, written in cursive Italian hand on paper. With numerous teXT illustrations and diagrams. ff. 26 and [53]. Occasional light staining, new endpapers. Contemporary calf, rubbed. Sm. folio. Mantua, Early 17th-century. $5000-7000 ❧ AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT, FIRST VOLUME UNPUBLISHED. Two-volume work describing the building of the Tabernacle in the desert and on Jerusalem’s Temple and its holy vessels. Both volumes include numerous sketches by the author. Tavnith HaMishkan has never been published. In it, the author cites earlier sources such Shiltei Hagiborim (Mantua 1612) and Tosfos Yom Tov (Prague 1615), occasionally disagreeing with them. Chanukath HaBayith was first published by Avraham Sofer as an addendum to Biur al Masecheth Midoth (R. Moshe Kasis) in 1963, from a manuscript found in Municipal Library of Mantua. There are textual variances between the present autograph manuscript and the published version. R. Malkiel Aschkenazi (his Italian family name was Tadsaki, date of death unknown) was active in the years 1611-29 as recorded in the Archives of the Mantua Community Ledger. In 1617 he was elevated to the level of “Chaver” a title bestowed only upon a man held in great respect by the community (see Sofer, introduction). Lot 1 2 ASCHKENAZI, CHAIM TZVI BEN MOSHE EPHRAIM. Atereth Tzvi [Chassidic sermons on the weekly Torah portion] Manuscript in Hebrew, written in black and brown inks in a cursive Aschkenazic hand on paper. “This manuscript is from my grandfather the Gaon… R. Chaim Tzvi… Chief Rabbi of Zavichvost and so I entitle it with the revered name Atereth (Tzvi) Chaim, I his youngest grandson, Reuven Halevi Hurowitz son of Abraham Halevi Hurowitz (f. 2a). ff. 113. Worn and frayed with occasional loss, some worming. Modern vellum- backed marbled boards. 4to. Eastern Europe, 19th century. $2000-3000 ❧ AN UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT. Most of the sermons are from the years 1831-33, although several date from 1817. Bound in are several letters written to the author and to his father, R. Moshe Ephraim who served as a rabbinical judge in Kalisch. The author quotes many Chassidic works including Kedushath Levi, Arvei Nachal, the Besht and commentaries that he heard from his father. R. Chaim Tzvi Aschkenazi was a fifth generation from R. Tzvi Aschkenazi, the “Chacham Tzvi.” He served as Rabbi of Zawichost (Zavichvost, Poland). He was a student of the “Holy Saba” of Radoshitz and his father, R. Moshe Ephraim, was a student of R. Moshe Leib of Sassov. Lot 2 1 3 ASCHKENAZI, YEHOSHUA HESCHEL BEN MESHULEM ZALMAN. Chidushei Halachoth. Autograph Manuscript Signed, in Hebrew, written in brown inks in a cursive Aschkenazic hand on paper. ff. 95, [3]. Title page within decorative border with few tears. Contemporary boards, worn. Sm. 4to. Lublin, 1865. $1000-1500 ❧ The title-page notes that this is the author’s tenth notebook, It was also likely his last, due to the unfinished nature of it (many blanks present). The manuscript comprises his novellae to Talmud and the Codes, as well as response to letters received from many well known Rabbis, including R. Simchah of Kempna and R. Shmuel Strashun. The penultimate leaf contains a copy of the proclamation that R. Yehoshua Heschel announced in Lublin against those who perform a circumcision close to sunset. This was directed against R. Leible Eiger who would only act as Mohel after spiritual and meditative preparations lasting a great many hours. R. Yitchok Meir of Gur and R. Chaim Elazar Wachs of Pietrikov came to his defense. R. Yehoshua Heschel Aschkenazi (d. 1867) served as Rabbi of Horodna. In 1853 he was appointed chief rabbi of Lublin where he served until his death (see Nissenbaum, LeKoroth HaYehudim BeLublin (1900) p. 127). This is the only manuscript of the author EXtant. IT remains unpublished. Lot 3 4 ARYEH LEIB BEN BARUCH. Derashoth. Manuscript in Hebrew, written in a cursive Aschkenazic hand on paper. ff. [51]. Touch stained. Modern boards. 4to. Poland, Early 19th-century. $1000-1500 ❧ Chassidic homilies on the weekly Torah portion. Includes sermons on Yoma DeKalah, Shabbath HaGadol and commentary to the passover Hagadah. In the portion of Mikeitz the author cites novellae heard from the Maggid of Koznitz. MUCH OF THIS WORK IS UNPUBLISHED. R. Aryeh Leib ben Baruch was a student of the Maggid of Koznitz and later served as Rabbi of Lantzut. He authored several Chassidic works which were published between 1849-67. In his letter of approbation to R. Aryeh Leib’s Chomath Ariel (1867), R. Chaim of Santz extols the author’s greatness. Lot 4 2 Lot 5 5 AZULAI, ABRAHAM BEN MORDECHAI. Ahavah BeTa’anugim [commentary to the Mishnah] Autograph Manuscript in Hebrew, written in semi-cursive Sephardic hand on paper. ff. 228. Stained, several leaves remargined with loss of text. Modern calf, slip-case. 4to. Hebron, 1641. $12,000-18,000 ❧ Important autograph manuscript. Focuses upon Seder Nezikin and is entitled “Beth Pharoah” from the larger work “Ahavah BeTa’anugim.” Although stated on the title that this is “Part Three,” it seems self-evident that this part was in fact the very first section that Abraham Azulai wrote. Following the title page, there is a general introduction to the entire work in which the author explains why he named his commentary Ahavah BeTa’anugim. This is the only section EXtant of the author’s Mishnah commentary. It was first published in 1986 by Mechon Yerushalayim with an extensive overview. Stemming from a celebrated Rabbinic family, R. Abraham Azulai (1570-1643) was born in Fez, Morocco. In 1599 he moved to Eretz Israel and settled in Hebron. For more on his life, see Azulai, Shem Hagedolim, ref. Abraham Azulai; M. Laitman, Gems of Wisdom, Words of the Great Kabbalists From All Generations (2011) p. 413-14; D. Zlotnick, “The Commentary of Rabbi Abraham Azulai to the Mishnah” in: Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research, Vol. 40, 1972, pp. 147-168. 3 Lot 6 6 AZULAI, RAPHAEL ISAIAH BEN CHAIM JOSEPH DAVID. Seguloth [Kabbalistic remedies] Autograph Manuscript in Hebrew, written in a cursive Sephardic hand on paper. With Kabbalistic formulae. ff. [30]. Stained, marginal repairs. Modern boards. 12mo. Lot 7 (Ancona?), c. 1800. $600-900 7 AZULAI, CHAIM JOSEPH DAVID. K iseh R achamim [commentary to Tractates Kallah, Soferim and Avoth DeRabbi ❧ Of diverse content, includes remedies against miscarriages, Nathan] First edition. THE CHID’A COPY With his signature on title- scorpion bites, how to win litigation, seder goral hachol page, along with Samuel Conquy (Conki). Scholarly marginalia (ff. 25-6) and much more. throughout mostly in the hand of Samuel Conki, often signed. R. Raphael Isaiah Azulai (c. 1743-1830) Chief Rabbi of ff. 120. Browned and wormed. Contemporary calf, worn. Folio. Vinograd, Ancona, Italy, was the eldest son of the famous Chid’a. Livorno 518. Livorno, E. Sa’adon, 1803. $1000-1500 ❧ R. Chaim Yoseph David Azulai (the Chid’a, 1724-1806) is regarded by many to have been the greatest Sephardic sage of the modern era. 4 Lot 8 8 (BIBLE). Tehillim - Psalms. Manuscript in Hebrew, written in a square Spanish hand with vowel-points, on vellum (with sirtut). ff. [34]. Opening four leaves with marginal loss, variously stained in places occasionally affecting text. Modern boards. 4to. Spain(?), 12th-13th century. $15,000-20,000 ❧ A large fragment of a very early Psalms. Most likely of Spanish origin - hence remarkably scarce.