Manuscript, Tiklal – with commentaries and novellae, two parts: machzor for three festivals and Passover Haggadah with commentaries, and high holiday machzor. [Yemen, ca. 18th century].

Small-format volume, comprised of two parts. Neat writing, with supralinear vocalization. In Part II, headers decorated in red ink. Throughout the siddur, the scribe incorporates commentaries in separate columns next to the siddur text and in "windows". Title page and two leaves from beginning of first part lacking; in middle of volume appears title page of second part for high holidays, also detailing the contents of this part, followed by colophon of author: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayers, with bakashot, songs, shofar blowing, Yom Kippur prayer, songs and bakashot, selichot, rachamim and maranot, and avodah service, Tractate Yoma, Keter Malchut and Tikun for the Fast of Gedaliah. [The manuscript does not in fact include Tractate Yoma, and the text of the title page appears to have been copied from a previous manuscript]. "Written for… Meoded son of Tzadok son of Yaakov known as Al-Yarimi".

Part I of the machzor begins in the middle of the psalms for holidays and festival prayers, selections and commentaries (including the "explanation of Shevuel son of Moses"); destruction of chametz and halachic discussion of Pesach and chametz, Aggadta DePischa with lengthy laws and commentaries [by R. Yitzchak Wanneh and other commentators], commentaries on the Haggadah from Tolaat Yaakov, Shevet Musar and others; Azharot for Shavuot, with commentary; Hoshanot for Sukkot, with commentaries and novellae; Tractate Avot; and Selichot for Elul.

[122] leaves; [96] leaves. 17 cm. Varying condition, good-fair to fair-good. Many stains and signs of use. Wear and tears. Worming to last leaves. First leaf repaired with paper filling. New binding, with parchment spine.

Manuscript, Chelek HaDikduk on the Bible, Masorah of vocalization, cantillation and grammar according to the order of the Bible, by R. Yichya Tzalach – the Maharitz, Rabbi of Sanaa. [Yemen, ca. 19th century].

The manuscript is lacking a few pages at the beginning, and begins in the middle of Parashat Noach. On last page, colophon of scribe: "Up to this point is what was found in the handwriting of the author… head of the Beit Din and leader of the Sanaa community, R. Yichya son of R. Yosef son of R. Tzalach".

R. Yichya son of R. Yosef Tzalach (Saleh), the Maharitz (1715-1805), head of the Sanaa Beit Din, most prominent Yemenite rabbi in the 18th century and a leading posek. Disciple of his grandfather Mari Tzalach and of R. Aharon HaKohen Iraqi, R. Yichya Iraqi and R. David Mashreki, author of Shetilei Zeitim. At the age of 43, he was appointed Chief Rabbi and head of the Beit Din over all Yemenite communities, a position he held for over 45 years. His authority was unequivocally accepted in Yemen, and many Yemenite Jews follow his customs and rulings to this day. He authored the Tiklal with the Etz Chaim commentary and many halachic works: Zevach Todah, Shaarei Kedushah on the laws of shechitah, Shaarei Taharah on the laws of Niddah, Peulat Tzaddik and more halachic, ethical and kabbalistic books.

This work by the Maharitz, on the Masorah, supports and preserves the Yemenite tradition. It was copied in many Taj books, and is printed with the Bible in every edition following the Yemenite tradition.

[90] leaves. 16 cm. Varying condition; good-fair to fair. Stains, including dampstains to first leaves, with part of text blurred. Wear and tears to margins. New fabric binding.

Manuscript, Sefer Yirat Hashem – ethics and selected laws and customs, by R. Zechariah son of R. Saadiah Korach. [Yemen, ca. 18th/19th century].

Neat Yemenite script. Black ink on paper, with decorations in red ink. Additions in "windows" within text. Lacking title page, and lacking one or more leaves at end.

The author, a Yemenite rabbi of ca. the first half of the 17th century, contemporary and peer of R. Yitzchak Wanneh Rabbi of Ma'bar. The present work is based primarily on Sefer HaYirah by R. Yonah of Gerona, expanded with selections from ethical, kabbalistic and halachic works, including: Menorat HaMaor, Reshit Chochmah, Sefer Charedim, the writings of R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Yehudah Chayat, R. Moshe di Trani, R. Menachem di Lonzano, Rashbatz, Levush, and more.

On the first page of the introduction (p. 2a), the author cites a Talmudic teaching, adding his own comments: "The Rabbis taught: Four things require encouragement… Therefore I, Zechariah son of R. Saadiah called Korach, have selected passages from the books of the Rabbis discussing these four things, that I might save myself; and one who comes to be purified is granted assistance… And I named this book Sefer Yirat Hashem, in order to differentiate it from Sefer HaYirah by Rabbeinu Yonah the Pious, even though most of his words are incorporated in this book…".

Notably, the NLI has a manuscript (Ms. 4448) with a copying of a similar work called Sefer HaYirah by R. Zechariah son of Saadiah Korach with selections from ethical works, where the author writes that he named the book Sefer HaYirah after the eponymous work by R. Yonah. Y. Ratzabi documents another manuscript of the same work called Sefer HaYirah, scribed in 1815 by Yitzchak son of Yehudah HaLevi al-Najar (see: Areshet, V, 1972, Y. Ratzabi, MiSifrut Yahadut Teiman, pp. 165-166; Y. Ratzabi, Toratan Shelivnei Teiman, p. 249).

Thus the author R. Zechariah Korach originally named the work Sefer HaYirah after the eponymous work by R. Yonah, until he realized that this led to confusion between the two works, leading him to rename the work to Sefer Yirat Hashem in later recensions in order to differentiate the two. The present work appears to be a revision with the updated name.

Another manuscript of the present work is documented in Halachah UMasorah, XI, pp. 213-217, with facsimiles of the manuscript.

The author, R. Zechariah Korach "HaKarchi" – contemporary and peer of R. Yitzchak Wanneh Rabbi of Ma'bar (south-central Yemen) in the first half of the 17th century, author of Paamon Zahav on the Tiklal – who quotes the Tiklal commentary of R. Zechariah HaKarchi.

The author's father, R. Saadiah son of Yosef Korach, brother of R. Shalom son of Yosef Korach, author of Sefer HaSegulot (an early Yemenite kabbalist, ca. 1625). R. Saadiah was one of the prominent teachers of R. Yitzchak Wanneh, who praises him with many honorifics in his introduction to Rechev Elohim (Anaf Etz Avot, II, p. 912, note 1). In his Tiklal commentary, R. Yitzchak Wanneh also cites halachot from R. Saadiah's Sefer HaYirah [apparently, the father R. Saadiah Korach also authored a Sefer HaYirah which is no longer extant]. Another R. Zechariah Korach (son of Yosef, rather than Saadiah) is cited in R. Yachya Dahiri's Sefer HaMusar (p. 210).

On p. 114a, illustration of Lamnatzeach menorah (Tehillim 67 written in the form of a seven-branched menorah). On previous page (p. 113b), interesting preface mentioning a traditional Segulah to recite this psalm during the Omer period so as not to be damaged all year, also stating that it was engraved on a golden plate on the shield of King David.

2-114 leaves. 16.5 cm. Varying condition, good-fair to fair. Stains, wear and tears. Worming and open tears to several leaves, repaired with paper. New binding, with parchment spine.

Manuscript, Diwan, songs and piyyutim for various festivals and occasions. [Yemen, ca. 18th and 19th centuries].

Volume combining gatherings apparently originating from two diwans, from different periods. The second part (beginning on leaf [106]) is vocalized, with headers decorated in red ink. Leaves are lacking in several places, and other leaves are integrated into it, by various writers from earlier times, supplemented at later dates (the original foliation is not continuous, due to the combination of several early diwans into a single volume).

At the end of Part I of the volume (p. [104]a), an index to the songs is added in a later hand. In the middle of the same index (p. [104]b), earlier ownership inscription of "Shlomo son of Yichya". On p. [105]b, signed ownership inscription from an earlier period, by R. Oded son of Shlomo Mantzur: "This is my portion from all my labor. I verbally thank G-d, Who granted me the merit to purchase this Sefer Yedidut, called Diwan in Arabic, from my wealth and my labor, I Awad son of Sulei[man] Mantzur… of the month of Menachem [Av]… 224[1?] Seleucid era [1931?]…" (with calligraphic signature).

Like other diwans, many piyyutim are by the great Yemenite poets R. Shalom Shabazi "Abu Yehudah Shabazi" and R. Yichya al-Dahiri. On leaf 88 (p. [76a]), title: "Nashwad – and these are the nashwad of the diwan of R. Salim al-Shabazi, who is truly peerless in his songs and praises" (see a similar text from another diwan manuscript documented by Y. Ratzabi, "R. Shalom Shabazi and His Poetry", Sefunot IX, 1965, p. 164, and note 274).

Narrow, long format (somewhat smaller than ordinary). Neat writing, with decorated headers and decorative illustrations (decorations in red ink to second part of volume).

[142] leaves. Approx. 7-7.5X22 cm. Varying condition. Stains and wear. Open tears affecting text, including leaves lacking large portions of text. All leaves repaired with paper. New leather binding.

Manuscript, Aggadta DePischa, Passover Haggadah with Judeo-Arabic commentary. [Yemen, ca. 19th century].

Yemenite script. Commentary written in smaller size at bottom of page or in narrow column next to Haggadah text. Decorations in red ink.

On last leaf, Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic colophon of writer Aharon Chabshush: "Harun son of Salim son of Suleiman Chabshush".

[20] leaves. 22.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, wear and tears, including marginal open tears. New binding.