Two books printed in the 1500s – in one volume.

1. Sefer Ikarim, principles of Jewish faith, by R. Yosef Albo. Venice, 1544.

2. Ohel Yaakov, commentary on the philosophical and mathematical parts of Sefer HaIkarim by R. Yosef Albo, by R. Yaakov Koppelman. Freiburg, 1584. First edition.

Geometrical illustrations and various diagrams. On p. 32b, illustration of two people on a ship.

Ownership inscriptions in both books: On title page of Sefer HaIkarim, signature of "Meshulam Zalman Fischhof Auerbach", and other inscriptions; on title page of Ohel Yaakov: "Meshulam Zalman son of… R. Binyamin Ze'ev Wolf Fischhof Auerbach" [R. Binyamin Wolf son of R. Meshulam Zalman Fischhof Auerbach, head of the Nikolsburg (Mikulov) Beit Din, author of a 1695 approbation for Vayakhel Moshe, printed in Dessau, 1699, may be the son or father of the present signatory].

Handwritten glosses (by several writers, in Ashkenazic script nearly contemporaneous with printing).

Few Hebrew books were printed in Freiburg.

Sefer HaIkarim: [1], 2-171 leaves. Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov: 34 leaves. 19 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains and dark stains. Marginal tears and open tears to several leaves. Early binding, with leather spine and corners. Defects to binding (both sides of binding loose).

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Two books in one volume, first editions of important works printed by Daniel Bomberg in Venice:

1. She'iltot of R. Achai Gaon. Venice: Daniel Bomberg, [1546]. First edition.

Early halachic work from the beginning of the Geonic era, containing homilies according to the order of the Torah portions, combining a halachic discussion with aggadic matter.

Colophon on last page. Signature on title page: "Yaakov de Pinto" [Torah scholar and distinguished member of the 19th century community of the Hague]; another ownership inscription at center of title page: "Yosef Toledano" and a deleted inscription of "R. Baruch ibn Chaim".

2. Shibolei HaLeket, laws, rulings and customs, by R. Tzidkiyah son of Avraham Anav the physician. Venice: Daniel Bomberg, [1546]. First edition.

Colophon on last page: "The holy work was completed with the utmost possible care with G-d's assistance, by Cornelio Adelkind, [1546]".

This edition is an abridgment of the first part of the original work, by an unknown author. Another abridgment of Shibolei HaLeket is Tanya (Tanya Rabati), printed in Mantua, 1514. On the various editions of the work, see: Y. Ta-Shma, Shibolei HaLeket and its Doublets, Italia, XI, 1995, pp. 47-51.

She'iltot: 61, [1] leaves. Shibolei HaLeket: 32, 34-39, 41-55 leaves. Lacking leaves 33 and 40 (leaves 35 and 38 respectively are erroneously printed again in their place). Leaves 17-18, 23-24 misordered. Approx. 30 cm. Varying condition, fair-good to fair. Stains, including dampstains. Worming (significant worming in some places), repaired with paper filling. Open tears to two leaves in Shibolei HaLeket, affecting text (the lacking portion of one leaf stuck to other leaf). Early leather binding, with gilt inscriptions. Defects to binding.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Commentary of the Ralbag on the Torah, with explanation of meanings and words, with morals deriving from them, by R. Levi son of Gershom, the Ralbag. Venice: Daniel Bomberg by Cornelio Adelkind, 1547.

Early leather binding.

Colophon on p. 248a, with poem in honor of the author and the printer Cornelio Adelkind.

[1], 2-6, 9-248 leaves. 31 cm. Most leaves in good condition. Many stains to title page and several other leaves. Wear and tears to margins of title page, not affecting text. Tears to last leaf, affecting text, without loss. Early leather binding, repaired. Wear and defects to binding.

Bookplate on back endpaper: "Joseph John Gurney" (English banker and religious figure, 1788-1847).

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Halachot Gedolot. Venice: Marco Antonio Giustiniani, 1548. First edition.

One of the first halachic works authored after the completion of the Talmud, during the Geonic period. The identity of the author, who is quoted extensively by the Rishonim, is subject to dispute, with attributions to either R. Yehudai Gaon or R. Shimon Kayyara.

On p. 61a, gloss (trimmed) in Oriental script.

[4], 8, 10-144 leaves. Lacking leaf 9. 28.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Marginal tears and open tears to title page and several other leaves, repaired with paper strips (slightly affecting title frame). Worming. Handwritten inscriptions. Old binding with leather spine and corners.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Commentary of Rabbeinu Bachya on the Torah, by R. Bachya son of Asher ibn Chalawa. [Venice: Giorgio di Cavalli, 1566]. Copy lacking title page.

Various ownership inscriptions on first leaf. Handwritten glosses and corrections in Ashkenazic script. Gloss (trimmed) on p. 10b mentioning "my teacher R. [---] Getshlig". Glosses on pp. 95b, 96a mention the book Avodat HaKodesh.

On leaves 194-195, handwritten replacements of several words and lines relating to Christianity, Jesus and Edom that were censored and not printed (the scanned copy in the NLI catalog also has these words and lines filled in by hand).