Orden de leccion de Tora, Nebihim y Quetubim [Order of study of Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim, for the night of Shavuot and Hoshana Rabba]. Amsterdam: Mordehay de Is. Levy Montesinos, 1734. Spanish.

Printed entirely in red ink.

Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Amsterdam was home to a large Sephardi community. Many 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 not familiar with the Hebrew language.

[56] leaves. 15 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Wear to margins of some leaves. Small marginal tears and open tears to several leaves (tear affecting text to one leaf, without loss). New leather binding, with minor defects.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Imrei Noam, collection of prayers, poems and songs, from various periods and authors, edited by R. Yosef Gallego. Amsterdam: Menashe son of Yosef Ben Israel, 1628. First edition.

On title page: "Order of poems and songs, prayers and techinot…".

Includes bakashot for weekdays, bakashot and songs for Shabbat and Motzaei Shabbat, bakashot for Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah, Taanit Esther and Purim; songs for Pesach and Shavuot; Selichot and Tochachot for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; songs for Sukkot and Simchat Torah; weddings; songs for circumcision of boy and Zeved HaBat ceremony for girl; Metzalin prayer for sickness and for birthing mother; prayers for trouble or fear from gentiles; prayer for rain; prayer for plague; and many other prayers.

On verso of title page appears a request by the printer, Menasseh Ben Israel, for his book not to be reprinted for the next ten years, due to the expenses invested.

The songs sometimes have their author named, and often indicate the name of the tune. Several were authored by the editor, R. Yosef Gallego. Some poems and songs in the present book have never been reprinted in any other source, thus this book is regarded as a valuable source for the religious culture and poetry of Sephardic Jews of the time (of particular note is the lamentation for those killed in Salonika, which the editor printed, along with other lamentations, in a small font, expressly in order to conceal them).

Little is known of the editor, R. Yosef Gallego. His surname evidently points to an origin in Galicia, Spain. Gallego was evidently raised (but not born) in Salonika, studying in its famous yeshivas. He may have acquired his knowledge of poetry from the cantors of Salonika. In 1615 he immigrated to Amsterdam, joining the old Beit Yaakov community. In 1616 he was appointed cantor of the new Beit Yaakov community, apparently serving alongside R. David Pardo, a position he held for about fourteen years. In 1624, the tragic loss of his young son Yaakov disturbed him greatly, as also expressed in the present book, in the lamentations he authored for the loss of a son. After the book was printed, Gallego immigrated to Eretz Israel, where he passed away.

The book was proofread by R. Shaul Mortera, Rabbi of the Beit Yaakov community in Amsterdam, and a close friend of R. Yosef Gallego.

On p. 166a, concluding words by the editor, apologizing in advance for printing errors, due to being printed in a new printing press and the workers not being alacritous.

Colophon on last leaf, dated Thursday, 2nd Av (apparently in error; 2nd Av that year was a Tuesday).

On p. 27a, the piyyut Hashem Elohei HaElohim mentions the number of years since the destruction of the Temple – 1558 (in the year 1628). A marginal gloss adds that in 1665 the number is 1597.

166 leaves. 13.5 cm. Most leaves in good-fair condition, first leaves in fair condition. Stains. Wear, mainly to first leaves. Marginal open tears to title page and several other leaves, affecting title frame and slightly affecting text, partially repaired with paper. Fine new leather binding.

For further information on the editor and for a full listing and study of the songs and tunes, see: E. Seroussy, R. Yosef Shalom Gallego Author of Imrei Noam – Salonikan Cantor in Amsterdam at Beginning of 17th Century, Asufot, VI, Jerusalem 1992, pp. 87-150 (Hebrew).

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Alfei Menashe, 1927, no. 5.

Rare.

Mishnah, Part I, Seder Zeraim, Moed and Nashim, and Part II, Seder Nezikin, Kodashim and Taharot. Amsterdam: Eliyahu Aboab, proofread by Menasseh Ben Israel, 1643-1644. Both parts in one volume. Miniature format.

Complete edition of the Mishnah, unvocalized, proofread by Menasseh Ben Israel. This edition was printed based on the 1631-1633 edition, with the commentary omitted.

On verso of title page, the publisher writes that he decided to print the Mishnah in a small portable format for ease of use in travel.

Colophon at end of Part I dated Sunday, 3rd Tevet, [1643].

At end of Part II, alphabetized list of chapters.

Fine old leather binding, with gilt decorations.

Throughout the volume are tens of glosses (corrections and variants) in Italian script and Oriental cursive script. Some glosses trimmed.

At end of Part I, handwritten additions of parts of Mishnah (including a large passage from the chapter conventionally appended to the end of Tractate Bikkurim), in Oriental cursive script. At end of volume, handwritten inscription (in Italian script) on the total number of chapters in the Mishnah, and a study regimen to finish it four times a year (every three months), and another inscription in Oriental script.

Part I: 205, [1] leaves. Part II: 16, 18-185, 187-289, [1] leaves. Misfoliation. 8.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Defects and small open tears to several leaves, slightly affecting text, partially repaired with paper. Light worming. Close trimming, slightly affecting text of several leaves. Old leather binding. Minor defects to binding.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Alfei Menashe, 1927, no. 39.

Machzor de las oraciones del Año, parte Primera Contiene las Thephilot cotidianas, de Sabat, Ros hodes, Hanuca, Purim [Year-round machzor, Part I, with prayers for weekdays, Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah and Purim], edited by Menasseh Ben Israel. Amsterdam: Semuel ben Israel Soeyro, 1650. Spanish.

The machzor was printed in honor of Yitzchak de Pinto, a member of one of the wealthy and influential families of Amsterdam in his days, beginning with a lengthy dedication to him by the editor Menasseh Ben Israel, father of the printer, Shmuel Soeiro.

After the introductions appears the piyyut Lechah Dodi and morning blessings, in Hebrew, in Latin characters.

The present book is the first part of the machzor, with weekday, Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and festival prayers. Parts II-III of the machzor were printed the same year.

At the end of the machzor are bound [4] leaves from a calendar of Rosh Chodesh and holidays (first leaves of calendar lacking; it is unclear which edition they belong to).

[6], 114 leaves; [4] calendar leaves. Lacking last leaf of machzor, and approx. first five leaves of calendar bound with it. 14.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Early parchment binding, with minor defects.

Rare. Few copies recorded in OCLC (the present Part I is rarer than the other parts). Some copies have variants in wording and typography on last leaves.

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

Alfei Menashe, 1927, no. 58.

Mikveh Yisrael, on the ten lost tribes of Israel and the redemption, by Menasseh Ben Israel. Amsterdam: Kosman Emrich at press of Asher Anshel son of Eliezer Chazan and Yissachar Ber son of Avraham Eliezer, 1698. First Hebrew edition. Pocket format.

Early leather binding, with gilt decorations.

Mikveh Yisrael was first published in Spanish by the author's son in Amsterdam, 1650. It was published the same year in Latin and English, and first appeared in Dutch about ten years later, and was later also translated into Yiddish. The present book is the first edition of the Hebrew translation.

At the beginning of the book is an introduction by the translator, R. Elyakim Shatz of Komarno, a cantor in Amsterdam (the translation was produced from the Dutch edition), followed by an index of Jewish and non-Jewish works and authors mentioned in the book.

In this work, Menasseh Ben Israel discusses the ten lost tribes of Israel, identifying them with the Indians of South America, and his concept of the redemption. At the beginning of the work, he cites the testimony of the Portuguese Marrano Antonio de Montezinos of his meeting with an Indian tribe who observed some Jewish customs and his claim that they are descendants of the tribes of Reuben and Levi. The work goes on to cite other testimonies from studies and travelogues, along with a discussion of the redemption, based on a conception connecting Jewish settlement throughout the world with the coming of the messiah.

Bound with another book: Masaot Shel Rabbi Binyamin HaRofe. Amsterdam: Casper Steen, 1698.

Mikveh Yisrael: 66 leaves. Masaot Shel Rabbi Binyamin: 27 leaves. 11 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor defects to margins of title page. Early leather binding, decorated, with color endpaper. Wear and defects to binding (open tear to spine).

Bookplate of Mozes Heiman Gans.

For further details on Mikveh Yisrael, and a full Hebrew translation of the original Spanish edition, see: M. Dorman, Menasseh Ben Israel, Tel Aviv: Hakibbutz Hameuchad, 1989 (Hebrew).

Alfei Menashe, 1927, no. 57d.