Tzenah URenah, Five Books of the Torah in Yiddish – Yiddish commentary selected from midrashim on the Five Books of the Torah, haftarot and Five Megillot, by R. Yaakov Ashkenazi of Yanov. Amsterdam: Yitzchak son of Shlomo Refael Yehudah Leon Templo, 1732. Yiddish.

Torah verses in square script, vocalized, while the rest of the text appears in the famous Tzenah URenah font.

[2], 198 leaves. 34.5 cm. Most leaves in good condition. Stains, including dark stains. Small marginal tears to title page and several other leaves, repaired with paper. New parchment binding.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Ezrat HaSofer, Tikun Sofrim in Vavei HaAmudim format. Five Books of the Torah, with haftarot and Or Torah glosses by R. Menachem di Lonzano, for copying by Torah scribes. Amsterdam, [1767-1769?]. Five volumes. Illustrated half-title in all volumes, dated 1769. Other title pages dated 1767. Divisional title pages for haftarot of each volume, dated 1768.

At beginning of Bereshit (between half-title and main title page), approbations and introduction, followed by Meir Nativ by R. Yehudah Pisa and a leaf with poems in praise of the book and editor. At end of Devarim, haftarah for Shabbat Eichah with verse-by-verse Spanish translation; Luchot HaIbur (divisional title page) – charts for determining festival dates (Hebrew and Portuguese).

Meant to serve as a model for Torah scribes (Sofrim) in the customary Vavei HaAmudim format. The Song of the Sea and Haazinu are in customary Torah scroll layout and therefore on wider pages (margins folded).

Five volumes. Bereshit: [11], [1], 64; 26 leaves. Shemot: [2], 65-119; [2], 28 leaves. Vayikra: [3], 120-159; [2], 24 leaves. Bamidbar: [3], 160-215; [2], 16 leaves. Devarim: [2], 216-264, [265]-281 leaves; Luchot HaIbur: [8] leaves. 19 cm. Overall good condition. Stains. Small marginal tears to several leaves. Original bindings, with leather spines and corners. Wear and defects to bindings.

Chok LeYisrael, daily study regimen in Torah, Neviim, Ketuvim, Mishnah, Gemara and Kabbalah, based on the Arizal's study routine, arranged by R. Yitzchak Baruch. Egypt (Cairo): Avraham son of Moshe Yatom, [1740]. First edition. Two parts in two volumes. All pages framed and divided into two columns.

First edition of the famous Chok LeYisrael – a work that circulated widely in Jewish communities, in particular of Mizrachi Jews and Chassidim.

On title page: "For regular study every morning in order to fulfill the commandment to fix times for studying Torah, based on what is found in the writings of… R. Chaim Vital following… R. Yitzchak Luria [the Arizal]. Arranged and prepared by… R. Yitzchak Baruch".

Two volumes. Volume I: [6], 116, 112 leaves. Volume II: [2], 102, 102, 116 leaves. 21-21.5 cm. Volume I in fair to good-fair condition, volume II in fair condition. Stains, including many dampstains. Worming (some significant), affecting text, partially repaired with paper filling. Tears and open tears, including open tears to first leaves of volume II, affecting text, repaired with paper and tape. Some leaves of volume II in slightly different size (some leaves may have been supplied from another copy). Several inscriptions. New bindings (uniform), with defects.

One of the first Hebrew books printed in Egypt (apart from two books printed by Gershom Soncino in Cairo in 1557, which are particularly rare, this is the first Hebrew book printed in Egypt).

Bookplates of Mozes Heiman Gans.

The Significance and Segulah of Reciting Chok LeYisrael Daily

The custom of reciting passages daily from the Bible, Mishnah, Talmud and Zohar was established by the Arizal, who observed this custom himself. The order printed in Chok LeYisrael is for the most part based on the writings of the Arizal in various places. The Chida added to this regimen daily halachic passages, taken from the Rambam's Mishneh Torah and Shulchan Aruch, as well as passages from ethical books. The Chida's additions are called Yosef LaChok. The purpose of the Chok LeYisrael order of study, as explained in the writings of the Arizal, is both for the perfection and tikkun of the soul, nourishing it through the study of the various parts of the Torah, and for effecting tikkunim and yichudim in the upper spheres.

Many prominent Chassidic leaders, especially the Tzaddikim of the Chernobyl dynasty, spoke in sublime terms of the segulah of the Chok LeYisrael study regimen, and attested that it provides a tikkun for sins in matters of holiness. Rebbe Yisrael Dov of Vilednik writes in his book She'erit Yisrael (Shaar HaShovavim, homily 1) that studying Chok LeYisrael serves as Tikkun HaBrit, "as I received from my master [Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl], that true tikkun is achieved by attaching oneself to both the Written and Oral Law, through Chok LeYisrael… and therefore in these times with the approach of the Messiah, the Yosef LaChok book has been published, authored by the Chida, disciple of R. Chaim ibn Attar, the Or HaChaim, who embodies the lights of both Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Yosef, akin to the kabbalistic concept of an all-encompassing Tzaddik capable of effecting a tikkun for the imperfections of the entire Jewish people".

Rebbe Avraham of Trisk, son of Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl, writes: "And following the prayers, one should recite Chok LeYisrael, every single day unfailingly… and through this he causes G-d to be filled with mercy for the Jewish people" (Magen Avraham, 96a).

Great rabbis of previous generations have spoken of great segulot attained by reciting Chok LeYisrael. Some wrote that it is also a segulah for livelihood (the Rebbe of Shinova is said to have based this on the statement of the Talmud, "Chok means sustenance").

R. Yaakov Rokeach, in his foreword Maaseh Rokeach to Chok LeYisrael, wrote: "It is a mitzvah for every Jew to buy himself a Chok LeYisrael, to read from it every day…".

Tehillim, divided for the days of the week and the days of the month, with two commentaries, one concise and one lengthy. Amsterdam: Proops, 1740. Bound with: Seder Maamadot, arranged for the days of the week by R. Yeshayah HaLevi Horowitz – the Shlah. Amsterdam: Proops, 1742.

Book of Tehillim, with a fine illustrated title page. Small format, "in a small volume, for ease of travel, with most beautiful type, paper and ink" (as printed on the title page). Both commentaries were originally printed with the Shaar HaShamayim siddur of the Shlah (Amsterdam, 1717), edited by the Shlah's great-grandson, R. Avraham Horowitz. The book opens with instructions for reciting psalms, by R. Avraham Horowitz.

The lengthy commentary is by R. Moshe son of Yisrael de Mercado, from his Commentary to Kohelet and Tehillim (Amsterdam, 1653), and was reprinted in the 1717 edition with changes (see: R. Yitzchak Yeshayah Weiss, On Editions of the Shlah Siddur and the Commentaries Therein, Tzefunot, XVII, 1993, pp. 28-31). The concise commentary may have been authored by R. Avraham Horowitz.

This Tehillim is bound with Seder Maamadot, arranged by the Shlah, as stated on the title page, with a commentary (by R. Avraham Saraval). The foreword on verso of title page states that the printer of the first edition (appended to the Shaar HaShamayim siddur, Amsterdam, 1717) was not able to print the Maamadot with the additions of the Shlah, which are integrated in this edition for the first time.

Proops' printer's mark appears at the beginning of both Tehillim (p. 4b) and Maamadot (verso of title page).

Two books bound in one volume. 152; 60 leaves. Approx. 17 cm. Varying condition; first leaves in fair condition, most leaves in good-fair condition. Stains, including dark stains from singeing (some repaired with paper filling). Marginal open tears to several leaves. Early leather binding, repaired. Defects to binding.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.