Manuscript, piyyutim. [Meknes?, Morocco, ca. 19th century].

Western cursive script. Includes over a hundred piyyutim authored by the sages of Spain and Northern Africa.

On leaf following copying of piyyutim (marked in pencil: 113), ownership inscription, partially deleted, mentioning R. Aharon[?] Assudri, and mentioning and signed by "Refael To[ledano]".

3-111, [1] leaves (and many more blank leaves). 17.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, tears and wear. Two leaves torn and partly lacking, affecting text. Original leather binding, with defects.

Provenance:

1. Abensour Family Collection, Fez, Morocco.

2. Victor Klagsbald Collection – Morocco, no. 24.

Reference: Victor Klagsbald, Catalogue des manuscrits marocains de la collection Klagsbald, Paris, 1980, pp. 52-57. See this source for a list of piyyutim.

Manuscript, piyyutim, letters and sayings, and various selections. [Morocco (Fez?), ca. 19th century].

Western cursive script. At tops of pages, fine decoration.

Includes: Copying of letters from Leshon Limudim by R. Yaakov Abensour – the Yaavetz; Tractate Purim; the Last Will of Haman (copied twice); piyyutim for Purim by R. Amram Elbaz, R. Yehonatan Serero and R. Betzalel Mansano; Gedolim Maasei Hashem – on a miraculous rescue in 1732 (copied twice); Iluf Musar, a letter addressed by R. Menachem Mansano to R. Eliyahu Otmazgin; Maariv prayer for Shabbat according to the native rite; and more.

Many pen trials throughout manuscript.

[53] written leaves (and many blank leaves). Approx. 14 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including inkstains and dark stains. Wear and tears. Detached leaves. New binding, with slipcase.

Two manuscripts, fragments from two prayer books, written in North Africa:

• Manuscript booklet, part of a Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah machzor. [Algeria, ca. 18th century]. Western cursive script (characteristic of Algeria), including the end of Maariv for Yom Kippur and the beginning of Shacharit for Yom Kippur, with several leaves from the Rosh Hashanah prayers (bound out of order). At end of Yom Kippur Maariv prayer, colophon of author, "Meir Guedj".

[10] leaves. 25.5 cm. Good condition. Stains.

• Manuscript booklet, part of a book of bakashot and piyyutim. [Algeria?, ca. 19th century]. Includes bakashot for various occasions. On p. 2a, colophon signed by "R. Avraham Atali".

[9] leaves (one detached and torn). 31 cm. Fair condition. Stains, tears and defects.

Lengthy letter (2 pages) handwritten and signed by R. Alexander Moshe Lapidot, Rabbi of Grodno. "Grodno in Achorei Nahar" (Vorstadt), Av 1863.

Torah letter addressed to R. Yehoshua Heshel HaLevi Levin of Volozhin, author of Aliyot Eliyahu. At the beginning of the letter, R. Alexander Moshe encourages R. Yehoshua to continue the publication of the Peleitat Sofrim periodical (a Torah periodical R. Yehoshua had initiated in 1847, but managed to publish the first issue only in 1863, and for various reasons it was also the last issue). R. Alexander Moshe expresses surprise at the delay in publication, and encourages him to continue to publish, praising his efforts.

R. Alexander Moshe writes Torah novellae (apparently to be printed in the next issue), commenting on an idea of the Gaon of Kutno.

He goes on to comment on an idea of R. Shmuel Salant published in HaLevanon regarding the laws of eating matzah (this discussion was printed during R. Alexander Moshe's lifetime in Kevod HaLevanon, in a correspondence with R. Shmuel Salant). After his signature, R. Alexander Moshe comments further on the HaTevunah periodical of R. Yisrael Salanter, regarding testimony by document.

R. Alexander Moshe Lapidot (1819-1906), an outstanding Torah scholar in his times and one of the leaders of Orthodox Jewry in Lithuania, R. Yisrael Salanter's right-hand man and a founder of the Musar movement. Disciple of R. Hirsh Broide in the Salant yeshiva and R. Avraham Abele Poswoler Rabbi of Vilna. At the age of 17, he was appointed Rabbi of Jonava; later served as Rabbi of the Vorstadt suburb of Grodno; and in 1866, became Rabbi of Raseiniai, a position he held for 40 years until his death. An exceptional Torah genius and one of the greatest authors of responsa in his time, he joined current leaders in dealing with the problems confronting Russian Jewry and the continuous struggle to maintain the Jewish way of life. He was one of those who attempted to arbitrate the dispute in the Volozhin yeshiva. In his youth, he became close to R. Yisrael Salanter, who exerted a large influence on him and gained him as one of his great supporters. He defended the Musar movement from opposition and was a significant contributor to its spread in the Lithuanian yeshivas. He was a close assistant in R. Yisrael Salanter's great endeavors; and became one of the founders of the Perushim kollel in Kovno. He joined R. Yisrael Salanter, the Chafetz Chaim and R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, in publishing Etz Pri (Vilna, 1881) as part of his efforts to improve attitudes towards those who study Torah.

The present letter is a remnant of the Torah teachings of one of the greatest poskim of his times. Most of the present letter has been printed (apparently from the present manuscript) in Sefer HaZikaron LeMaran Baal HaPachad Yitzchak (Jerusalem, 1984, pp. 623-625, sections 3-4) and Torat Rabbeinu Alexander Moshe Lapidot (Lakewood, 2006).

[1] double leaf. 20 cm. Two written pages. Fair-good condition. Stains and wear, creases and tears. Second leaf repaired with tape.

Three postcards, with letters from Hungarian rabbis, disciples of the Shevet Sofer, addressed to their teacher, R. David Yehudah Baum, dayan and posek in Nové Mesto.

• Letter handwritten and signed by R. Yeshayah Kalisch, posek of Pressburg, Sivan 1914.

• Letter handwritten and signed by R. Yisrael Reich, Rabbi of Bátorove Kosihy. 1909.

• Letter handwritten and signed by R. Kalman Golderberger. Nyírjákó, 1891.

R. Yeshayah Kalisch, dayan and posek of Pressburg (1883-1944; perished in the Holocaust) was a disciple of the Shevet Sofer in the Pressburg yeshiva, R. Yeshayah Ehrenfeld Rabbi of Šurany, the Minchat Elazar of Munkacs and R. Yitzchak Shmelkes Rabbi of Lviv. Son-in-law of R. Yehudah Leib Friedman, head of the Pressburg Beit Din (1863-1919). In 1913, he was dayan in Pressburg and disseminated Torah in the Talmud society and Pressburg yeshiva. He succeeded R. David Wessely as head posek in Pressburg in 1942.

R. Yisrael Reich, Rabbi of Bátorove Kosihy (Bátorkeszi; 1862-1933), son of R. Yaakov Koppel Reich, Rabbi of Budapest. Disciple of the Shevet Sofer.

R. Kalonymus Kalman Goldberger (ca. 1866-1943; perished in the Holocaust), author of Devar Emet. An extraordinary Torah scholar, disciple of the Chatan Sofer, Shevet Sofer and R. Michael Hoffman, the Dayan of Pupa.

The recipient of the letters,
R. David Yehudah Baum (1865-1918), author of Minchat Yehudah. Disciple of the Shevet Sofer in Pressburg and the Kol Aryeh Rabbi of Mád. Son-in-law of R. Yisrael Isserl Tauber, disciple of the Chatam Sofer, whom he succeeded as dayan, posek and Torah disseminator in Nové Mesto.

3 postcards. 14 cm. Good condition. Stains.