Decorated parchment manuscript, Bechinat Olam by R. Yedaiah HaPenini Bedersi (of Beziers), and other works. [Provence, Southern France, 14th/15th century].
Pocket-size volume. Brown ink on thin parchment leaves. Color decorations. Sephardic semi-cursive script, in several hands. In the first half of the volume, initial words are in square script, with decorations colored red, green, blue and brown, in frames stylized as lacework or filigree, in delicate quill work. Some frames extend into the margins with geometric and vegetal patterns.
The volume mainly comprises poetic-ethical works of Provençal Torah scholars, from the circles associated with R. Yedaiah HaPenini Bedersi, and other works of a similar character by others.
The volume is written in two hands. The first is a neat and artistic hand, featuring the abovementioned decorations. Most of the second half of the volume is written in another hand. The second scribe's hand begins at p. 69b. Nevertheless, the second half of the volume also alternates with the handwriting of the first scribe. In addition, the first nine leaves are lacking in the original scribe's hand, and are replaced with parchment leaves handwritten by another scribe (approximately contemporaneous with the original writing).
The volume comprises:
Leaves 1-46: Bechinat Olam by R. Yedaiah HaPenini Bedersi.
Leaves 47-55: Bakashat HaMemin by R. Yedaiah HaPenini Bedersi. Colophon at end: "Each word of this prayer begins with [the letter] Mem. I authored it, the least of my tribe, Yedaiah HaPenini son of R. Avraham Bedersi, to pray to the Source of good… And when my noble father saw the beauty of the prayer… he hurried to compose a response…".
Leaves 55-66: Kaarat Kesef by R. Yehosef Ezovi (teacher of R. Avraham Bedersi, father of R. Yedaiah HaPenini). Colophon at end: "The ethical poem is concluded, made by R. Yosef Ezovi for his son on his wedding day… and they are 130 stanzas, corresponding to the weight of the silver plate [Kaarat Kesef]…".
Leaves 67-74: Elef Alfin, prayer by R. Avraham Bedersi (father of R. Yedaiah HaPenini; Davidson, Thesaurus of Mediaeval Hebrew Poetry, I, Alef 4645). A prayer composed of a thousand words, each beginning with the letter Alef.
Leaves 74-78: Batei HaNefesh, prayer for Yom Kippur by R. Yedaiah HaPenini Bedersi ("Lecha Keili", Davidson, ibid., III, Lamed 800).
Leaves 79-86: Sections of Machberot Immanuel by Immanuel of Rome (from sections 9 and 26).
Leaves 86-98: Musar Haskel, ethical poem by R. Hai Gaon (copying incomplete).
Leaves 99-108: "Aamir Et Hashem", prayer by R. Yosef son of Sheshet ibn Latimi (see: Dov Yarden, Kinot by R. Yosef son of Sheshet ibn Latimi, Sefer Zikaron LehaRav Yitzchak Nisim, V, Jerusalem 1985, pp. 185 ff. [Hebrew]). A prayer composed of a thousand words, each beginning with the letter Alef (Davidson, ibid., I, Alef 20).
Leaves 109-114: Various poems by R. Shmuel HaNagid, R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. David Kimchi and others.
Leaves 115-128: Laws of shechitah and terefot.
Leaves 129-130: Poem by R. Yehosef HaEzovi in praise of Kaarat Kesef ("Nefesh Kenoh Musar", Davidson, ibid., III, Nun 463).
Notes in Ashkenazic script (ca. 19th century) in several places.
[130] parchment leaves. 9 cm. Overall good condition. Stains, including dark stains. Fading of ink and peeling of letters in several places. Creases and defects to first leaves, affecting text. Late Islamic leather binding (with inscribed shamsa medallion to front and back of binding), repaired and rebound.
Provenance: Collection of Dr. Felix Guggenheim. Recorded in Guggenheim's notes from the 1940s, and likely purchased by him in Germany before 1938, when he immigrated to the United States through Switzerland with his Judaica collection. Guggenheim lent this manuscript to the Jewish Book Council, for exhibition at the Jewish Book Month event in Los Angeles on November 15, 1948; and a 1948 record documents that the book was insured for $500. The manuscript was owned by the Guggenheim family continuously since its purchase by Felix Guggenheim.
See: Mark Funke, The Rare Book Collection of Dr. Felix Guggenheim, pp. 6-9.
