Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
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Displaying 97 - 108 of 277
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $250
Sold for: $625
Including buyer's premium
Targum Shir HaShirim, Shir HaShirim with Aramaic translation (vocalized) and Pirkei Avot. Amsterdam: Uri Levi for Yaakov son of Yehudah Shneur, 1683. Each verse followed by Aramaic Targum.
Approbations of rabbis of Amsterdam – R. Yitzchak Aboab, R. Yaakov Sasportas and R. Shlomo de Oliveyra – explaining that it was published for the children of the Amsterdam community, who would read Shir HaShirim and Pirkei Avot in groups.
Fine original leather binding, with gilt decorations on both sides of binding and spine.
51 leaves.15.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, many stains to some leaves. Small open tear to center of title page, slightly affecting text. Elaborate original leather binding, with wear and defects (part missing from top of binding).
Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $500
Sold for: $750
Including buyer's premium
Mishnah, Part I, Seder Zeraim, Moed and Nashim, and Part II, Nezikin, Kodashim and Taharot. Amsterdam: Aharon de Shlomo Antunes, 1716. Two volumes.
Complete edition of all six orders of the Mishnah, vocalized.
6 leaves at the end of second volume, with explanation of all unusual words in the Mishnah.
Fine illustrated title frames.
Two volumes. Volume I (Zeraim, Moed, Nashim): [2], 188, 6 leaves. Volume II (Nezikin, Kodashim, Taharot): [2], 189-446, [1], 6 leaves. 16 cm. Partially dark paper in first volume. First volume in fair to fair-good condition, second volume in overall good-fair condition. Stains. Wear. Tears and open tears, affecting text in several places, repaired with paper (tears to title page of second volume, reinforced by mounting on paper). Worming to first volume, affecting text. Early leather bindings. Wear and defects to bindings.
Bookplates of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $500
Sold for: $6,250
Including buyer's premium
Mesamchei Lev, kabbalistic kavanot for shofar, ethics, Segulot and cures in Yiddish, by R. Mordechai Gimpel of Zülz. Amsterdam: printer not indicated, 1718. Only edition. Hebrew and Yiddish.
The book begins with many approbations of rabbis of Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania. They refer to another work of R. Mordechai Gimpel, Beit Hashem, an abridgment of Yoreh Deah, referred to in the introduction to his book. As another similar book had been printed in the mean time, he decided to print a different work of his instead, along with the approbations to his other work.
Segulot and cures from p. 21a onwards.
Signature on title page: "Yaakov de Pinto" [rabbi and distinguished member of the 19th-century Hague community].
24 leaves. 15 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Marginal tears to title page and other leaves, repaired with paper (slightly affecting text). Old binding with leather spine. Minor defects to binding.
Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Especially rare. To the best of our knowledge, it has not been sold at auction for a long time.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $250
Sold for: $688
Including buyer's premium
Three books printed in Amsterdam, in small and pocket-size formats, between 1697-1721:
• Ben Sira, Alfa Beita DeBen Sira, with Orchot Chaim by R. Eliezer HaGadol. Amsterdam, [1697]. Leather binding, without spine.
• HaMaggid (volume IV) – Ezra and Nechemiah, Trei Asar and Divrei HaYamim, with commentary of Rashi, Yiddish translation and Agudat Shmuel by the publisher R. Shmuel Dlugatch. Amsterdam, 1699. Original leather binding, with defects.
Miniature edition. The Yiddish translation is a sequel to Tzenah URenah on the Torah by the same author (R. Yaakov of Yanov). This edition was edited and reworded from previous editions. Agudat Shmuel by the publisher R. Shmuel Dlugatch (a compilation from various sources and works, most not found in other sources, such as Hagahot R. Ovadiah HaNavi, Sod Meisharim, Emek HaShem, and more), was printed in this edition for the first time. This compilation, which was inserted in parentheses into the Rashi commentary, was republished in further editions, and drew criticism on the fact it was implanted within the text of the Rashi commentary. Some of these additions were later absorbed in the commentary and mistaken for an integral part of it (see: Ch. Lieberman, Ohel Rachel, 1, pp. 310-329). These additions have been recently identified by R. Moshe Hillel (Aggadot Shmuel, Jerusalem 2019) as forgeries by the publisher.
At the end of the present volume, [2] leaves with piyyutim by R. Shmuel Dlugatch.
• Tikun Shtarot, formulas for halachic documents. Amsterdam, 1721. Includes 45 formulas. Color paper wrapper.
3 books. Varying size. Overall good to good-fair condition. Stains. Open tears to title page of one book. Old original bindings.
Bookplates of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $1,063
Including buyer's premium
Sefer HaGoralot, various methods of divination by lot, attributed to R. Saadiah Gaon. Amsterdam: Immanuel Athias, 1701.
Short introduction at beginning of book, with prayer to be recited before performing the lot, and instructions for performing it and interpreting the result.
12 leaves. Approx. 15 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Tears and open tears, affecting text, repaired with paper filling (all leaves repaired). Early binding, with minor defects.
Rare edition.
Provenance: Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $2,750
Including buyer's premium
Chanoch LaNaar – thesaurus, with instructions and exercises for calligraphy, examples of personal and business letters, documents, various abbreviations, multiplication tables, proverbs and a brief monolingual Yiddish dictionary, edited by Yosef Maarssen. Amsterdam: Tzvi Hirsch Shebreshin, Moshe Bendin and Yosef Maarssen, 1713. First edition. Yiddish with some Hebrew.
Entire book printed in Ashkenazic cursive script, apparently to facilitate copying from book by merchants. The development of this typeface demanded special effort on the part of the printers; in the approbation by R. Tzvi Hirsch Ashkenazi, the Chacham Tzvi, he forbids copying the font created by the publishers for six years.
After approbation, introduction by publishers.
[12], 68 pages. 14.5 cm. Fair to fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Close trimming, affecting title frame and text of some leaves. Small marginal tears and open tears to several leaves. Early binding, with leather spine and corners. Wear and defects to spine.
This edition is not recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, the NLI catalogue or in WorldCat.
Especially rare. To the best of our knowledge, this book has never before been auctioned.
Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $500
Including buyer's premium
Divrei Nechemiah, novellae on the Torah according to the homiletical and kabbalistic approaches, by the Sabbatean Nechemiah Chiya Hayyun. Berlin: Baruch Buchbinder, 1713. Only edition.
On title page, the word "Amsterdam" is emphasized.
At beginning of book, approbations from R. David Oppenheim of Prague, R. Gavriel Leib [Eskeles] Rabbi of Nikolsburg, R. Aharon Rabbi of Berlin and R. Yehudah Leib son of R. Moshe of Glogów.
Nechemiah Chiya Hayyun (ca. 1655-1730) was a Sabbatean Torah scholar and kabbalist, the most prominent Sabbatean after the death of Shabtai Tzvi. When Hayyun's books were brought to the Chacham Tzvi during his tenure as Rabbi of Amsterdam, he found them to contain heretical and Sabbatean material and issued a ban against them and their author, and began a fierce battle against him.
The Chacham Tzvi was joined by R. Moshe Chagiz in his battle against Hayyun, and both suffered the persecution of Hayyun's supporters in Amsterdam. Hayyun extracted the approbations to his book by fraud and deceit. The approbation Hayyun received for this book from R. David Oppenheim was reused for his Sabbatean-kabbalistic Oz LElohim, along with an approbation he had received from R. Naftali Katz. Both later retracted their approbations, but Hayyun refused to return them; they both published their retraction in Milchamah LaShem Cherev LaShem by R. Moshe Chagiz (Amsterdam, 1714).
Ownership inscription on title page (in Italian script), dated 1842.
[2], 86, [1] leaves. 19.5 cm. Partially dark paper. Good condition. Stains. Small marginal tears to title page and several other leaves. New binding, with spine and parchment corners.
Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $500
Sold for: $1,875
Including buyer's premium
Ohel Yaakov, novellae on the aggadot by R. Yaakov Kahana Shapiro, Rabbi of Tyczyn. Frankfurt an der Oder: Michel Gottschalk, 1719. Only edition.
Original elaborate leather binding, with many fine gilt decorations, incorporating red leather on both sides of binding, with an inscription on the front binding to a bridegroom, dated 1778.
[2], 78 leaves. 27.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Worming (especially to first leaves), affecting title frame and text. Abrasion of stamp from paper, slightly affecting text. Original leather binding. Wear and defects to binding.
Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $400
Including buyer's premium
Choshev Machashavot, homiletics and halachot regarding mikveh and tefillin on Chol HaMoed, Bible and Mishnah commentary, and more, by kabbalist R. Immanuel Chai Ricchi, author of Mishnat Chassidim. Amsterdam: printer not indicated, 1727. First edition.
The author, R. Immanuel Chai Ricchi (1688-1743), a leading Italian kabbalist, author of Mishnat Chassidim and other works; wandered extensively, reaching Eretz Israel, where he established a yeshiva (frequented by the Or HaChaim). In 1742 he traveled to Italy to raise funds for his yeshiva. In 1743, while making his way from Modena to Bologna, he was attacked by soldiers who tried to compel him to eat pork; upon his refusal he was choked to death with his tefillin and the funds were plundered. His son, who recounted the event, details how R. Immanuel Chai Ricchi had had premonitions of his death as a martyr in a dream.
78 leaves. Without last [2] errata leaves, not included in all copies. 19 cm. Color edges. Good-fair condition. Stains, including light dampstains. Tears, including marginal open tear to title page (not affecting text), and tears in several other places, slightly affecting text. Original leather binding, with gilt decorations. Wear and defects to binding (part of top of spine lacking, and defects across edges).
Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
![Maaseh Rokeach, kabbalistic allusions on several chapters of Mishnah, by R. Elazar Rokeach. Amsterdam: Yosef Dayan, [1740].](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale108/106_1.jpg "Maaseh Rokeach – Amsterdam, 1740 – Segulah for Happiness – Distinguish")
![Maaseh Rokeach, kabbalistic allusions on several chapters of Mishnah, by R. Elazar Rokeach. Amsterdam: Yosef Dayan, [1740].](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale108/106_2.jpg "Maaseh Rokeach – Amsterdam, 1740 – Segulah for Happiness – Distinguish")
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $800
Sold for: $2,750
Including buyer's premium
Maaseh Rokeach, kabbalistic allusions on several chapters of Mishnah, by R. Elazar Rokeach. Amsterdam: Yosef Dayan, [1740]. First edition.
The author, R. Elazar Rokeach (1685-1742), Rabbi of Brody and Amsterdam. He printed his Maaseh Rokeach in his final years, on the way to Eretz Israel.
R. Moshe Berin Blum Rabbi of Vyshnivets writes in his approbation (to the second edition, printed in Mohyliv-Podilskyi, 1817): "…he was endowed with Heavenly inspiration, as it is universally acknowledged that this Torah scholar availed himself of divine inspiration akin to the early Sages…". The current Rebbe of Belz wrote in his approbation to the 1993 edition: "It is well known that this holy book was particularly cherished by our holy rabbis [Rebbes of the Belz dynasty, descendants of the author], and in 1955, my uncle the Rebbe [Rebbe Aharon Rokeach] gave his blessings for publishing this book, quoting his father the Maharid, who asserted that studying this holy book is a Segulah for happiness".
Distinguished copy. On title page, ownership inscription with calligraphic signature: "G-d graciously gave me this, Yaakov Aryeh" – R. Yaakov Aryeh, a rabbi of Jerusalem in the mid-18th century, and a member of the Beit Yaakov yeshiva, established in Jerusalem in 1691 by the philanthropist Yaakov Ferrera of Amsterdam, where R. Refael Yitzchak Zerachiah Azulai (father of the Chida), R. Yedidiah Moshe Vakil, R. Avraham Almosnino and others studied.
Another ownership inscription on title page: "Belongs to R. Yosef Maman Maaravi, Yitzchak Menachem Maman" [R. Yosef Maman, a rabbi of Safed (1752-1823), known as R. Yosef Maaravi for his ancestry in the Maghreb. A rabbi of Morocco, he immigrated to Safed in 1770, was dispatched as emissary to Persia in 1792, and had a profound and lasting impact on the Jews of Bukhara – see enclosed material]. Another non-Hebrew ownership inscription of David Maman.
Additional inscriptions on title page. On verso, inscription in Oriental script, with notable homily on Proverbs 18:10.
Several handwritten glosses, in Oriental script.
[1], 121; 6 leaves. Leaf 120 bound after leaf 2 in second sequence. 23.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dark dampstains. Wear. Marginal tears and open tears to title page and other leaves, repaired with paper. Worming. Islamic leather binding (with shamsa medallions inscribed on front and back), with wear and many defects.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $1,125
Including buyer's premium
Zichron Yerushalayim, on graves of tzaddikim and holy sites in Eretz Israel, with some prayers for holy sites. Amsterdam: printer not indicated, [1759]. Second edition, with illustrations.
Includes illustrations (woodcuts) of the Western Wall, the Temple, the Tomb of Rachel and more.
16 leaves. 17 cm. Partly dark paper. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear. Marginal tears to some leaves (tape repair to title page). Early paper wrapper, with defects (back side detached).
Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value
![Kreiti UPleiti, on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah, by R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz. Altona: printer not indicated, [1763]. First edit](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale108/108_1.jpg "Kreiti UPleiti – Altona, 1763 – First Edition – Only Book of Rabbi Yeh")
![Kreiti UPleiti, on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah, by R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz. Altona: printer not indicated, [1763]. First edit](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale108/108_2.jpg "Kreiti UPleiti – Altona, 1763 – First Edition – Only Book of Rabbi Yeh")
Auction 108 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
May 12, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $875
Including buyer's premium
Kreiti UPleiti, on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah, by R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz. Altona: printer not indicated, [1763]. First edition. Only book of the author published in his lifetime.
Fine copy with wide margins.
Handwritten inscriptions inside the front board.
[3], 34, [1]; [4], 165 leaves. 33 cm. Fine, wide margins. Overall good condition. Stains. Light wear. Marginal tears and open tears to several leaves (margins of title page repaired with paper strips). Early leather binding, with defects (partially repaired).
Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.
Category
Early Printed Books – 17th and 18th Centuries
Catalogue Value