Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Displaying 13 - 20 of 20
Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Opening: $3,000
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000
Sold for: $7,500
Including buyer's premium
Megaleh Amukot, 252 kabbalistic interpretations of the VaEtchanan prayer, by R. Natan Nata Shapira, Rabbi of Kraków and primary disseminator of kabbalah teachings in Ashkenazic lands. Kraków: Menachem Nachum Meisels, 1637. First edition.
First edition of one of the earliest and most prominent kabbalistic works printed in Poland.
The book opens with forewords by the author's sons, R. Shlomo (editor of the book) and R. Moshe. In his lengthy and poetic foreword (with the embedded names "Natan" and "Shlomo", the author's father), R. Shlomo offers many details on his father's life and his other writings, including that his father initially intended to compose one thousand commentaries on the VaEtchanan prayer, but he received a heavenly directive to only reveal 252.
R. Natan Nata Shapira (1585-1633) was one of the greatest Torah scholars of his times and one of the leading kabbalists in Ashkenazic lands (second-generation disciple of the Arizal). A grandson of Maharnash (R. Natan Shapira, author of Imrei Shefer and Mevo She'arim), he was renowned for his great holiness, and many wondrous tales of revelations of ruach hakodesh have been related about him over the generations. In his foreword to Megaleh Amukot, his son R. Shlomo Rabbi of Sataniv writes that Elijah revealed himself to his father; R. Efraim Zalman Margulies also notes this fact in his preface to the Lviv edition of Megaleh Amukot. R. Yeshayahu Bassan, teacher of the Ramchal, in his famous letter to the Venice rabbis, counts the author of Megaleh Amukot as one of the special individuals who merited learning from angels. His famous disciple is R. Shabtai Katz, the Shach. R. Shlomo, son of the Megaleh Amukot, writes in his approbation to the Shach that his father "would amuse himself with… R. Shabtai Katz… who was like a son raised by him and born to him". After his passing, he appeared in a dream to R. Shimshon of Ostropoli to teach him Torah secrets, as R. Shimshon writes in his letter: "By oath… this past night in the week of VaEra, I saw the great R. Nata of Kraków, author of Megaleh Amukot, in my dream at night, and he told me that the explanation of this stich… has lofty secrets". His books and writings were cherished by kabbalistic and Chassidic leaders.
Many leading rabbis trace their lineage to the author, R. Natan Nata: R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz (who calls him "my ancestor the great kabbalist, the holy man of G-d, author of Megaleh Amukot, second-generation disciple of the Arizal"), the Knesset Yechezkel, Rebbe Pinchas Shapiro of Korets, Rebbe Mordechai of Neshchiz (who says of him in his approbation to the Lviv edition: "a man in whom the spirit of G-d spoke…"), the Tiferet Shlomo of Radomsk, the Chidushei HaRim, R. Meir Shapiro of Lublin and many others.
Early ownership inscription on title page: "I purchased this book for… so says the scribe I---". Glosses.
[5], 21, 24-64, 69-133, 136-166; 16, [8] leaves. Missing 8 leaves: 22-23, 65-68, 134-135. 18.5 cm. Somewhat dark and partly brittle paper. Fair condition. Stains, including dark stains. Wear. Much worming to title page and other leaves, affecting text, partially repaired with tape (inner margin of title page repaired with paper, affecting title frame). Tears, including marginal open tears. Handwritten inscriptions. New binding.
Category
Early Printed Books – Poland, Prague and Western Europe
Catalogue
Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $1,500 - $1,800
Sold for: $2,000
Including buyer's premium
Toldot Aharon, an index of Biblical verses quoted in the Talmud, by R. Aharon of Pesaro. Freiburg: Ambrosius Frobenius by Yisrael Zifroni, [1583-1584]. First edition.
First edition of a classic reference work. Shortly after its printing, this work was appended to many editions of the Torah, and was also supplemented with various expansions.
Colophon on last page (first half damaged with loss): "Yisrael [Zifroni], typesetter in the employ and press of Frobenius, Elul 1584".
[39] leaves. 33.5 cm. Some browned leaves. Overall fair condition. Last leaf in fair-poor condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear. Many tears and open tears to last leaves, affecting text in many places. Open tears to last leaf, repaired with tape. Worming in a few places, slightly affecting text. New binding.
Few Hebrew books were printed in Freiburg.
CB, no. 4377,1.
Category
Early Printed Books – Poland, Prague and Western Europe
Catalogue
Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Opening: $600
Estimate: $800 - $1,000
Sold for: $2,125
Including buyer's premium
Sefer Maharil, customs of Ashkenazi communities, by R. Yaakov son of R. Moshe HaLevi Moelin. Hanau: [heirs of Johann Aubry], 1628.
Printed for the first time in this edition are "glosses and customs of Frankfurt… and new content added by R. Hirtz Levi who was Rabbi of Frankfurt". These glosses are named "Glosses of R. Hirtz" in the Machon Yerushalayim edition (see: R.Y.M. Peles, Introduction and Additions to the Books of the Maharil, Jerusalem, 2016, p. 285 [Hebrew]).
Ownership inscriptions on title page: "I, Yosef son of Aharon of Giez"; "Purchased by me, Eizik Ashkenazi". Another trimmed inscription on p. 63b: "This book was purchased by me, [so says Asher Yitzchak?] Eizik Ashkenazi".
64 leaves. Lacking [1] leaf at end. 15.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Small tears and open tears to first leaves, slightly affecting text, repaired with paper. Worming to title page and other leaves, affecting text, repaired with paper filling. Printing defect on p. 61b, affecting text. Stamps. New leather binding.
[1] leaf at end with index, which is lacking in the present copy, is also lacking from the digitized copies on the NLI and HebrewBooks.org websites.
CB, no. 5567,5; Zedner p. 305; Cowley, p. 300.
Category
Early Printed Books – Poland, Prague and Western Europe
Catalogue
Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Opening: $600
Estimate: $800 - $1,000
Sold for: $1,188
Including buyer's premium
Taamei HaMitzvot, reasons for the Torah commandments, kabbalistic commentary on the reading of Shema and prayer kavanot, by the kabbalist R. Menachem Recanati. Basel: Ambrosius Froben, 1581.
The author,
R. Menachem son of Binyamin Recanati (1250-1310), one of the early Italian kabbalists. His most famous work is his halachic rulings, which served as an important halachic source for later generations, cited by poskim such as the Beit Yosef, Shach and Magen Avraham.
R. Menachem son of Binyamin Recanati (1250-1310), one of the early Italian kabbalists. His most famous work is his halachic rulings, which served as an important halachic source for later generations, cited by poskim such as the Beit Yosef, Shach and Magen Avraham.
At the beginning and end of the book is a foreword and afterword by the publisher, the kabbalist R. Yaakov Luzzatto. At the end of the book is an index of hints and secrets, apparently also arranged by him. The publisher describes the importance of the book on the title page, concluding: "Whoever studies it will merit the salvation of redemption".
Inscription on title page: "Segre brothers", and two inscriptions deleted with ink.
On verso of last leaf, signature of censor Domenico Gerosolimitano, dated 1598. Additional censorship inscription on title page.
Several glosses in Italian script.
43, [5] leaves. 21.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Light wear. Worming, affecting text. New binding.
Category
Early Printed Books – Poland, Prague and Western Europe
Catalogue
Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Opening: $2,500
Estimate: $4,000 - $5,000
Sold for: $13,750
Including buyer's premium
Orchot Tzadikim, "to instruct and enlighten the foolish heart of stone, and extract it from the muddy path". Prague: Mordechai son of Gershom Katz and sons, 1581. First Hebrew edition.
First Hebrew edition of Orchot Tzadikim, one of the most famous musar books, eventually printed in over one hundred editions. The book's central theme is the importance of correcting one's character traits as a foundation for a life of Torah and mitzvot. The book contains 28 chapters (whose names are printed on verso of the title page), comprised of various character traits and their opposites, such as humility and arrogance, shame and boldness, love and hate, mercy and cruelty, and more. A chapter is dedicated to each of the character traits, as well as several chapters on the importance of studying Torah, fear of heaven and teshuvah. The author's identity is unknown, but the book is estimated to have been authored ca. mid-15th century.
A Yiddish translation of Orchot Tzadikim was printed by Paul Fagius in Isny, 1542, under the name Sefer Midot (according to the title page of that edition, the book was intended to be read by women; interestingly, this is the first book to be printed in Yiddish before it was printed in Hebrew). On the present title page, the printers state that "since it is not common among us, because it was not printed in our times, we have therefore decided to endeavor and print it in order to grant the public the merit of reading and studying it, until its words are familiar and study brings to deed…".
On the verso of the last leaf is a printer's mark: an imagined illustration of the Temple, with a ribbon bearing the biblical caption "Great will be the honor of this house, says the Lord of legions" (the names of the typesetters are printed in the top and bottom margins in Tzenah URenah type). See: A. Yaari, Diglei HaMadpisim HaIvriyim, Jerusalem 1944, no. 40, note on p. 138.
On title page, signature of "Yonah of the family Bondi" – R. Moshe Yonah Bondi of Prague and Mainz (1768-1806), disciple of the Noda BiYehudah, son-in-law of R. Hertz Avraham Naftali Scheuer, Rabbi of Mainz. Although he died at a young age, he was renowned as a great Torah scholar and tzaddik. Some of his novellae were published by his son R. Shmuel Bondi, in Torei Zahav, Mainz 1875.
Additional inscriptions on title page. Handwritten references to verses on one leaf.
[58] leaves. 19 cm. Somewhat dark paper. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Light wear. Tears, including tears to title page, with paper repairs on verso of title page and margins of several leaves. Close trimming, affecting title frame. New binding.
On the date and place of authorship, see: Yosef Jeffrey Woolf, When Was Orchot Tzadikim Authored?, Kiryat Sefer, LXIV, 1992-1993, pp. 321-322 (Hebrew).
CB, no. 3413.
Category
Early Printed Books – Poland, Prague and Western Europe
Catalogue
Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Opening: $2,000
Estimate: $2,500 - $3,500
Sold for: $8,750
Including buyer's premium
Netzach Yisrael, regarding Mashiach and the redemption of the Jewish people, by R. Yehuda Loew – the Maharal of Prague. Prague: Moshe son of R. Yosef Bezalel Katz, [1599]. First edition, printed in the author's lifetime.
Signatures and ownership inscriptions on title page: "Belongs to Wolf son of Meir Segal", "Belongs to… Meir Segal Epstein of Binswangen", "I bought this book… from tithe money, Binyamin Wolf Segal", and more; additional trimmed inscription at top of title page: "…Chaim Levi Binswangen…".
45, [1], 46-63 leaves. Misfoliation. Approx. 29 cm. Some browned leaves. Good condition. Stains, including several inkstains. Small marginal tears and open tears to several leaves. Light worming. Stamps. New binding.
The Maharal – R. Yehudah Loew son of Betzalel (ca. 1512-1609), illustrious Torah scholar. He served as rabbi and yeshiva dean in Nikolsburg, Posen and Prague. His prominent disciples include R. Yom Tov Lipman, author of Tosefot Yom Tov, and his sons-in-law R. Yitzchak Katz and R. Eliyahu Loanz, the Baal Shem of Worms. A leading rabbi in his days and celebrated Jewish thinker of all times, his books contain his distinctive system of thought and profound explanations of aggadot. A leader of Moravian Jewry, he was known for his ties with non-Jewish kings and for his untiring battle against blood libels. The Maharal is fixed in the popular imagination as a wonder-worker. Famous stories tell of the Golem which he created by yichudim and kavanot according to Sefer Yetzirah and which was sent by its maker on mysterious missions to thwart the libels against Jews (see Nifleot Maharal and many folk tales published about the Golem of Prague).
His original system of thought is known to posterity from his famous works, which illuminated the deeper meaning of aggadot. He printed most of his philosophical works during his lifetime, thereby preserving them for future generations (his other writings, including halachic works and novellae on the Talmud, have for the most part been lost). For a long period of about two hundred years the books were not reprinted, and it was only after a revival of interest by Chassidic leaders, especially with the encouragement of the Maggid of Kozhnitz, that the works of the Maharal were first reprinted in the late 18th century.
CB, no. 6153,11; Zedner, p. 404; Roest, p. 623; Cowley, p. 399.
Category
Early Printed Books – Poland, Prague and Western Europe
Catalogue
Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Opening: $600
Estimate: $800 - $1,000
Sold for: $1,375
Including buyer's premium
Tzori HaYagon, ethics and philosophy to heal the soul, by R. Shem Tov son of Yosef Falaquera, with glosses by R. Shaul son of Shimon. Prague: Yaakov son of Gershon Bak, 1612. Second edition.
Rhyme on title page: "The special quality of Tzori HaYagon is to calm the grief of the soul, to satiate the soul's hunger as the goodly five grains".
As noted on the title page, the first edition of the book was printed in Cremona over 50 years earlier, of which only a few copies remained, leading to the decision to reprint it.
Colophon on last leaf in praise of the publisher.
Minor handwritten corrections in several places.
[20] leaves. 18 cm. Somewhat dark paper. Good condition. Stains. Close trimming of title page, bordering title frame. Inscriptions on title page. New binding.
CB, no. 7101,2; Zedner, p. 697; Roest, p. 1044.
Category
Early Printed Books – Poland, Prague and Western Europe
Catalogue
Auction 100 – Important Hebrew Manuscripts and Books from the Victor (Avigdor) Klagsbald Collection
Jan 21, 2025
Opening: $1,000
Estimate: $1,500 - $2,500
Sold for: $1,750
Including buyer's premium
Mareh Musar – Der Zucht Speigel, by R. Yehudah Seligman Ulma-Ginzburg. Prague: sons of Yehudah son of Yaakov Bak, 1678.
This book contains 510 Hebrew and Aramaic proverbs, most from the Talmud and Midrash, and others from medieval literature and popular sayings, vocalized and ordered alphabetically. Each proverb is followed by a Yiddish translation and exposition in Tzenah URenah font. The first edition of the book was printed in Prague, 1614.
Bound at end: [2] handwritten leaves (two written pages) with interesting commentary on Chad Gadya, and [6] additional leaves from Be'er Moshe, a commentary on the Torah and Five Megillot by R. Moshe Shertlan (Serles) Segal. [Prague, ca. 1640s].
Signatures on title page: "Yosef Baruch son of R. Elyakum known as Getz, prayer leader and faithful beadle of Krajenka"; "Yekutiel Kaufman son of Eliezer" – whose signature appears once more on margin of p. [31a]. Ownership inscription on first leaf of Be'er Moshe: "Belongs to… Leah[?]". Several glosses.
[38] leaves. 18.5 cm. Some browned leaves. Fair condition. Stains. Wear. Marginal tears, slightly affecting text. Worming (affecting text of last leaves of Be'er Moshe). Close trimming, affecting title frame and text in several places. New binding.
CB, no. 7172,4.
Category
Early Printed Books – Poland, Prague and Western Europe
Catalogue