Sermoens de David Nunes-Torres, pregador da celebre irmandade de Abi Yetomim [Sermons of R. David Nunes-Torres, preacher of the Avi Yetomim Brotherhood]. Amsterdam: Moseh Dias, [1690]. Portuguese. Three works in one volume (general title page at beginning and three partial divisional title pages).

Three sermons delivered by R. David Nunes-Torres, a famous preacher of Portuguese origin in Amsterdam.

R. David Nunes-Torres (d. 1728) was a preacher, thinker, proofreader and publisher of the Sephardic-Portuguese community of Amsterdam. A disciple of R. Yitzchak Aboab de Fonseca, he served as preacher and later as Rabbi of the Portuguese-Sephardic community of the Hague. He worked as a printer at the press of Immanuel Athias, and was involved in several famous controversies with Amsterdam rabbis.

On endpapers at beginning of volume, bibliographical inscriptions in early handwriting (Hebrew, Portuguese and Dutch), with contents, sources, and references to manuscripts, works and catalogs.

[6] leaves, 16 pages; [2] leaves; 19 pages; [2] leaves; 18, 23-28 pages. Lacking pages 19-22 of last sequence. Approx. 20 cm. Wide margins. Overall good condition. Stains and light wear. Old inscriptions to margins. Bookplate. Original parchment binding, stained and worn.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Arbol de Vidas, en el qual se contienen los dinim mas necessarios que deve observar todo Yisrael, Sacados de Varios y Graves Authores [Tree of Life, containing all the most necessary halachot for all Jews to observe], by R. Avraham Vaez. [Amsterdam], 1692. First edition. Spanish.

Summary of halachot in Spanish, selected from various books and authors, by R. Avraham Vaez, rabbi of the Nefutzot Yehudah community in Bayonne (southwestern France, near the Spanish border). The work was meant for the members of the descendants of Marranos of Spain and Portugal who returned to openly practicing Judaism but were not familiar with the Hebrew language.

At end of book, décima (ten-line poem) by Abraham Rodriguez Faro.

88, 83-172, 179-186, [177]-204, [4] pages. Mispagination. Lacking 3 leaves (gathering Y). 14.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dark stains affecting text. Minor marginal tears to some leaves. Close trimming, bordering text and affecting headers of some leaves. Bookplate. Old leather binding, somewhat worn.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Zivchei Yehudah – "Zibhe Jeudah Dinim de Sehita & Bedica", laws of shechitot and bedikot in Portuguese, by R. Yehuda Piza (Jeudah Piza). Amsterdam: printer not indicated, [1740]. Portuguese, with some Hebrew.

17th and 18th century Amsterdam was home to a large Sephardi community. Most of its members were descendants of Marranos who emigrated from Spain and Portugal a century after the expulsion. The present book was printed for the members of this community who were unfamiliar with the Hebrew language.

[8], 75, [5] pages. 17 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Wear. Marginal tears and open tears to some leaves, not affecting text, repaired with paper filling. Old leather binding, with defects.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Zohar, three parts. Slavita: R. Moshe Shapira, [1815]. Complete three-volume set.

Some words on title page in red ink.

The present set is in the earlier small format (a large-format Zohar was printed at a later time by the printer's son).

Ownership inscription, signatures and stamps.

The Slavita Printing Press, Founded by R. Moshe Shapira, Rabbi of Slavita

The Jewish printing press in Slavita (present-day Slavuta, Khmelnytskyi Province, Western Ukraine) operated between 1790 and 1836. The founder of the printing press was the Rabbi of the city, R. Moshe Shapira (1762-1840), son of the renowned R. Pinchas of Korets. Already in his youth, he showed exceptional talent in scribal writing, tracing, carving and etching. His illustrious father encouraged him to develop his talent to master these skills. In the early 1790s, R. Moshe was appointed Rabbi of Slavita, yet he concurrently established his famous printing press, not wishing to utilize Torah as a livelihood. The typeface used in the printing press was fashioned by R. Moshe. Apart from the printing press, he also established workshops for production of the paper and type. A large portion of Slavita's Jews earned their livelihood honorably in one of the many divisions of the printing firm. Slavita books were reputed in the Jewish world for their beauty, splendor and accuracy; as well as for the owner of the press, R. Moshe, who was revered by the great Chassidic leaders. R. Moshe of Slavita was close to the Baal HaTanya, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who commended him: "Exceptional in Torah, fear of G-d is his treasure, of holy descent". Sipurim Nora'im by R. Yaakov Keidner (Lviv, 1875) relates the wondrous account of how the Baal HaTanya assisted R. Moshe in attaining a government license for his printing press.

A special advantage of this printing press was that it only produced sacred books, and its type was never desecrated by secular books. Most of the workers were G-d-fearing Jews. According to a famous Chassidic tradition, the equipment and type were immersed in a mikveh before use (regarding the printing press in Slavita, see [in Hebrew]: Haim Dov Friedberg, History of Printing in Poland, Tel Aviv, 1950, p. 104; Ch. Lieberman, Ohel Rachel, I, New York, 1980, pp. 199-202; Sh.D.B. Levine, History of Chabad in Tsarist Russia, Brooklyn, 2010, p. 61). Chassidic masters especially prized siddurim and books printed in holiness in the Slavita press for prayer and study, especially the Tikunei HaZohar edition, which was meant for those with the custom to study the present book of Tikunim between Rosh Chodesh Elul and Yom Kippur.

Tikun Leil Shavuot and Hoshana Rabba, based on the Shlah, with Kavanot from the Arizal. Slavita: R. Shmuel Avraham Shapira, son of the Rabbi of Slavita, 1827.

Some words on title page printed in red ink.

[2], 165 leaves. 20.5 cm. Bluish paper. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dampstains and wax stains. Tears to title page, repaired with tape, and marginal tears to several other leaves. Worming and small open tears to several leaves, slightly affecting text. New binding, worn and slightly loose.

Another edition was printed concurrently, with [2], 135 leaves. The present edition has known variants between copies in details of censor's name and slight typographical variants (see Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, listing 000303939).

The Slavita Printing Press, Founded by R. Moshe Shapira, Rabbi of Slavita

The Jewish printing press in Slavita (present-day Slavuta, Khmelnytskyi Province, Western Ukraine) operated between 1790 and 1836. The founder of the printing press was the Rabbi of the city, R. Moshe Shapira (1762-1840), son of the renowned R. Pinchas of Korets. Already in his youth, he showed exceptional talent in scribal writing, tracing, carving and etching. His illustrious father encouraged him to develop his talent to master these skills. In the early 1790s, R. Moshe was appointed Rabbi of Slavita, yet he concurrently established his famous printing press, not wishing to utilize Torah as a livelihood. The typeface used in the printing press was fashioned by R. Moshe. Apart from the printing press, he also established workshops for production of the paper and type. A large portion of Slavita's Jews earned their livelihood honorably in one of the many divisions of the printing firm. Slavita books were reputed in the Jewish world for their beauty, splendor and accuracy; as well as for the owner of the press, R. Moshe, who was revered by the great Chassidic leaders. R. Moshe of Slavita was close to the Baal HaTanya, R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who commended him: "Exceptional in Torah, fear of G-d is his treasure, of holy descent". Sipurim Nora'im by R. Yaakov Keidner (Lviv, 1875) relates the wondrous account of how the Baal HaTanya assisted R. Moshe in attaining a government license for his printing press.

A special advantage of this printing press was that it only produced sacred books, and its type was never desecrated by secular books. Most of the workers were G-d-fearing Jews. According to a famous Chassidic tradition, the equipment and type were immersed in a mikveh before use (regarding the printing press in Slavita, see [in Hebrew]: Haim Dov Friedberg, History of Printing in Poland, Tel Aviv, 1950, p. 104; Ch. Lieberman, Ohel Rachel, I, New York, 1980, pp. 199-202; Sh.D.B. Levine, History of Chabad in Tsarist Russia, Brooklyn, 2010, p. 61). Chassidic masters especially prized siddurim and books printed in holiness in the Slavita press for prayer and study, especially the Tikunei HaZohar edition, which was meant for those with the custom to study the present book of Tikunim between Rosh Chodesh Elul and Yom Kippur.