Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
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Displaying 109 - 120 of 314
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $425
Including buyer's premium
Large collection of biographies of Rebbes and Tzaddikim from Hungarian Jewry.
See Hebrew description for full list of books.
13 books and booklets. Varying size and condition. Some books marked with stamps of R. "Yeshayah Benet" of Budapest. Mainly old bindings. The books have not been thoroughly examined, and are being sold as is.
Category
Rabbinic Biographies and Books of Eulogies
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $1,000
Sold for: $1,625
Including buyer's premium
Fragments of manuscript leaves extracted from a "bindings genizah" – commentary of Radak (R. David Kimchi) to the Book of Yeshayahu. [Iberian Peninsula – Spain or Portugal, ca. 14th/15th century].
Neat Sephardic semi-cursive script. The present fragments include portions of the Radak's commentary to Yeshayahu chapters 37-41.
On leaf contains a heretofore-unknown commentary on several verses. This commentary appears neither in printed editions nor in early manuscripts (to the best of our knowledge and research).
The unknown commentary is on Yeshayahu 37:37-38, 38:1-2.
Fragments of more than 10 leaves. Varying size and condition (original height of leaf: 18 cm). Heavy damage, affecting text, with loss, as a result of reuse as binding and worming.
Enclosed is the (Oriental) binding from which the fragmentary leaves were extracted.
Category
Manuscripts
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $500
Sold for: $1,375
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, Tiklal – with commentaries and novellae, two parts: machzor for three festivals and Passover Haggadah with commentaries, and high holiday machzor. [Yemen, ca. 18th century].
Small-format volume, comprised of two parts. Neat writing, with supralinear vocalization. In Part II, headers decorated in red ink. Throughout the siddur, the scribe incorporates commentaries in separate columns next to the siddur text and in "windows". Title page and two leaves from beginning of first part lacking; in middle of volume appears title page of second part for high holidays, also detailing the contents of this part, followed by colophon of author: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayers, with bakashot, songs, shofar blowing, Yom Kippur prayer, songs and bakashot, selichot, rachamim and maranot, and avodah service, Tractate Yoma, Keter Malchut and Tikun for the Fast of Gedaliah. [The manuscript does not in fact include Tractate Yoma, and the text of the title page appears to have been copied from a previous manuscript]. "Written for… Meoded son of Tzadok son of Yaakov known as Al-Yarimi".
Part I of the machzor begins in the middle of the psalms for holidays and festival prayers, selections and commentaries (including the "explanation of Shevuel son of Moses"); destruction of chametz and halachic discussion of Pesach and chametz, Aggadta DePischa with lengthy laws and commentaries [by R. Yitzchak Wanneh and other commentators], commentaries on the Haggadah from Tolaat Yaakov, Shevet Musar and others; Azharot for Shavuot, with commentary; Hoshanot for Sukkot, with commentaries and novellae; Tractate Avot; and Selichot for Elul.
[122] leaves; [96] leaves. 17 cm. Varying condition, good-fair to fair-good. Many stains and signs of use. Wear and tears. Worming to last leaves. First leaf repaired with paper filling. New binding, with parchment spine.
Category
Manuscripts
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $400
Sold for: $2,125
Including buyer's premium
Especially large collection of leaves and gatherings handwritten by R. Chaim Yitzchak Menashe, a Torah scholar of Constantinople – novellae on the Torah, Mishnah and halachah, and responsa letters. [Constantinople, ca. late 19th and early 20th centuries].
The present leaves form a book-length work including novellae on the Mishnah, Tur, Beit Yosef, Torah and aggadah, and various halachic topics.
The top of one leaf features his signature: "Bechor Chaim Yitzchak Menashe". On one leaf he mentions his friend the Sedei Chemed.
Includes several letters: responsa to and from R. Chaim Menachem Faranji, a responsum to R. Refael [Bitran], and a letter in Ladino from the Chesed Shel Emet society with novellae by R. Yitzchak Menashe written on it.
R. Chaim Yitzchak Menashe (d. 1914) was a Torah scholar and dayan of Constantinople. Served alongside R. Shabtai HaLevi, R. Yitzchak Shaki, R. Refael Saban, R. Yaakov Argueti and others.
Over 120 leaves (including several mall pieces of paper on which R. Menashe wrote his novellae). Varying condition, overall good-fair condition.
Category
Manuscripts
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $1,063
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, Torah novellae on Tractate Bava Kama by R. Shmuel Halberstadt (Halberstam), Rabbi of Haguenau and the Alsace region, a disciple of R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz in Prague. [Europe, before 1753, ca. 1730s-1750s].
The novellae were written by one of his students, in his lifetime, as he is mentioned with blessings for the living in the headers of some pages.
R. Shmuel Halberstadt (d. 1753) was a Torah scholar of Prague, eventually appointed Rabbi of the Alsace region. Born in Halberstadt to R. Tzvi Hirsch, in his youth he was a disciple of R. Akiva Eger (the first) of Halberstadt, author of Mishnat DeRabbi Akiva. After his marriage he lived in Prague where he was a distinguished disciple of R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz. After the Prague expulsion of 1745, R. Shmuel immigrated to Alsace (northeastern France), where his teacher R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz was already living (having served as Rabbi of Metz since 1741).
At the recommendation of R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz, R. Shmuel was appointed Rabbi and yeshiva dean in Haguenau and Chief Rabbi of the Alsace region. R. Shmuel Halberstadt passed away in 1753, and was eulogized by his teacher R. Yehonatan Eibeshitz. His Olat Shmuel remains in manuscript, while some of his novellae have been published in Divrei Chachamim.
[16] written pages. 20 cm. Fair-good condition. Dark stains and wear. Detached leaves. Stamps ("Sifrei Dent"; "Mosad Harav Kook" – some deleted). Early leather binding, rubbed (non-original; somewhat similar to the binding of books from the library of R. Nachum Dov Ber Friedman of Sadigura, d. 1883, some of whose books at the time reached Sifrei Dent).
Formerly Mosad Harav Kook Ms. 151.
Category
Manuscripts
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $750
Including buyer's premium
Collection of five booklets and leaves in manuscript, discussing kabbalah, ethics and homiletics. [Eastern Europe, ca. 1850s-1860s].
Written in one or two hands. The content appears to point to the author being an eminent Torah scholar, well versed in kabbalah and in the details of conduct in service of G-d.
The [5]-page booklet, dated "Sunday Vayigash 1866, Kalush", contains an introduction and five chapters on kabbalistic issues.
Another leaf in the same handwriting interprets passages from Tikunei Zohar.
Another leaf, dated Nisan 1866, with the location given as "K[alush]" (torn), gives a list of practices and advice in service of G-d.
In a [3]-page booklet, entitled "Discourse Six – Kivrot HaTaavah", contains homiletics for Rosh Hashanah, including harsh polemics against the author of a philosophical work.
Another leaf sharply criticizes Jewish followers of philosophy.
Five items, comprising [13] written pages. Varying size and condition, good-fair to fair. The leaf with practices dated Nisan 1866: open tears, affecting text.
Category
Manuscripts
Catalogue Value
![Manuscript, notes of R. Salomon Buber to Midrash Sechel Tov – Shemot, in his handwriting. [Lviv, late 19th century].
R.](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale105/115_1.jpg "Manuscript – Rabbi Salomon Buber's Notes to Midrash Sechel Tov – Autho")
![Manuscript, notes of R. Salomon Buber to Midrash Sechel Tov – Shemot, in his handwriting. [Lviv, late 19th century].
R.](https://files.kedem-auctions.com/files/Sale105/115_2.jpg "Manuscript – Rabbi Salomon Buber's Notes to Midrash Sechel Tov – Autho")
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $2,375
Including buyer's premium
Manuscript, notes of R. Salomon Buber to Midrash Sechel Tov – Shemot, in his handwriting. [Lviv, late 19th century].
R. Salomon Buber first published from manuscript Midrash Sechel Tov by R. Menachem son of Shlomo (a 12th-century Italian rabbi), along with extensive notes of his own, printed in 1901-1902.
The present manuscript is the author's autograph of part of the notes on the Book of Shemot, with some variants from the printed version (not studied thoroughly).
R. Salomon (Shlomo) Buber (1827-1906), scholar, researcher and editor of Midrashim and other early works in an edition with scholarly prefaces, notes and comments – an enterprise appreciated in both scholarly and traditional settings.
145 pages (incomplete). 34 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear, tears. Detached leaves. Without binding.
Category
Manuscripts
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $500
Sold for: Unsold
Five handwritten leaves, novellae on various topics by R. Shmuel Rozovsky, dean of the Ponevezh yeshiva. [Bnei Brak, ca. 1960s-1970s].
Most leaves in autograph handwriting, with handwritten additions and deletions.
On one of the leaves, drafts of letters on various topics, addressed to R. Chaim Yosef Denkeles, with notes on his Daat Yosef on purity laws; and to R. Shach, on sacrificial laws.
Another leaf discusses the laws of mourning; two other leaves are a copying of the same composition (in another hand), with additions and corrections handwritten by R. Shmuel Rozovsky.
Another leaf discusses the laws of the Eglah Arufah (possibly written by a copyist).
R. Shmuel Rozovsky (1913-1979) was the son of R. Michel David Rozovsky, a rabbi in Grodno (1869-1935). He studied under R. Shimon Shkop in the Shaar HaTorah yeshiva in Grodno (his hometown), in the Mir yeshiva in Poland and in the Lomza yeshiva in Petach Tikva.
He was the son-in-law of R. Tzvi Pesach Frank, Rabbi of Jerusalem. He served as lecturer in the Lomza yeshiva as a young man. In Kislev 1943 he moved over with his disciples to the newly founded Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak, and was the first lecturer in the Ponevezh yeshiva. His lectures were the focal point of the Ponevezh yeshiva, where he transmitted the Torah of the Lithuanian yeshivot to the new generation in Eretz Israel.
His impact on the Torah world in our times was highly significant, and to this day the lectures in most yeshivas are based on the principles and approaches of R. Shmuel, which he absorbed from his teachers in the Grodno yeshiva and in the yeshivas in Lithuania.
Already in his lifetime, his lectures were published based on his students' notes, which were photocopied and printed in various mimeograph editions. After his passing, his novellae and lectures were edited by his descendants and leading disciples, and published in Chidushei Rabbi Shmuel, Shiurei Rabbi Shmuel and Zichron Shmuel.
When compiling these books, they mainly used the notes which his disciples took during the lectures, referring only minimally to R. Shmuel's own manuscripts, since he wrote very little of his own notes. Thus, most of his teachings were transmitted through his disciples' oral and written records.
[5] leaves (comprising 8 written pages). Varying size and condition.
Category
Manuscripts
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: $375
Including buyer's premium
Letter handwritten and signed by R. Azriel Hildesheimer. Berlin, 4th Nisan 1888.
Addressed to R. Hillel Traizon, Rabbi of Starodub, regarding a document of divorce sent from Berlin to Ponevezh, which never reached the woman; R. Azriel Hildesheimer, having searched unsuccessfully for the agent's place of residence, explains that doing so in as large a city as Berlin is no easy task.
R. Azriel Hildesheimer concludes with blessings for the upcoming Passover, and his signature.
R. Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899), rabbi, posek and leader. A foremost rabbi in his times, he stood at the helm of Orthodox Jewry in Germany. He was a close disciple of R. Yaakov Ettlinger – the Aruch LaNer in Altona (who refers to him in Responsa Binyan Tzion as "my son"), and studied under Chacham Bernays (R. Yitzchak Bernays) of Hamburg. In 1848, he founded a yeshiva in Halberstadt, and in 1851, he was appointed rabbi of Eisenstadt, where he also served as yeshiva dean and established a unique educational system.
In 1869, he began serving as rabbi of the Adath Israel Orthodox community in Berlin, where he founded a yeshiva. In 1874, he opened the Rabbinical Seminary, which edified generations of rabbis, educators and community leaders. Just like his teacher the Aruch LaNer, he was titled "Nesi Eretz Israel".
He was renowned for his wide-ranging efforts on behalf of German Jewry, and for his extensive activities on behalf of Russian Jewry. He authored many novellae and halachic responsa, which were published in his responsa (2 volumes), Talmudic novellae (3 volumes) and other books.
The recipient of the letter, R. Hillel Traizon, was Rabbi of Starodub and author of Divrei Hillel (Piotrków, 1895-1902).
[1] double leaf. 14.5 cm. Approx. 12 handwritten lines. Good condition. Marginal tears.
Category
Letters
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $750
Sold for: $3,000
Including buyer's premium
Notable letter, handwritten and signed by R. Yaakov HaLevi Lipschitz, secretary and confidant of R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, Rabbi of Kovno. [Kovno, after Adar 1888].
A lengthy, unknown letter that sheds light on the position and activity of R. Yaakov Lipschitz in the Heter Mechirah controversy that erupted prior to the Shemitah year of 1888-1889. The letter begins without an addressee, and is indicated as a continuation, but is signed at the end by "Yaakov HaLevi Lipschitz". [A well-known method had the writer send an initial letter without identifying himself in case the content would fall into unwelcome hands, followed by a signed letter. And indeed, R. Yaakov Lipschitz begins the letter with an allusion to the danger he was faced with].
The letter deals primarily with R. Lipschitz's activities opposing the Zionist movement, and especially against the wealthy Aharon Yehoshua Shapiro of Bialystok (son-in-law of Rabbi Hillel Bishka of Kėdainiai) who financed the Zionists.
Towards the end of the letter, R. Lipschitz explicitly references his involvement in the Heter Mechirah polemic, relating his fervent attempts to prevent R. Yitzchak Elchanan from signing his permissive ruling. He states that the almost succeeded, blaming the failure on a ploy by "the deceitful Ezra of Bialystok" who had convinced the rabbi of Kutno to support him, in turn persuading R. Yitzchak Elchanan. R. Lipschitz praises the announcement opposing the Heter (apparently referring to the poster of the rabbis of Jerusalem), concluding that a solution can only be achieved by a meeting.
Before the Shemitah year of 1888-1889, a halachic solution was proposed to sell the agricultural land in Eretz Israel to non-Jews to enable Jewish farmers to continue working their land during the Shemita year. In Adar 1888, R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, at that time a leading rabbi and Torah authority, signed a letter brought to him endorsing the solution, which had also been signed by R. Yisrael Yehoshua of Kutno (author of Yeshuot Malko), R. Shmuel Mohilever of Bialystok and R. Shmuel Zanvil Klepfish, posek in Warsaw. This letter sparked a controversy, and was opposed by the rabbis of the Old Yishuv in Jerusalem and by other rabbis in Europe. Throughout the following Shemitah years, the polemic recurred time after time, with those accepting Heter Mechirah relying, among other factors, on the ruling of R. Yitzchak Elchanan. R. Yaakov Lipschitz, renowned assistant and secretary of R. Yitzchak Elchanan, was one of the fiercest opponents to the Zionist movement, which promoted Heter Mechirah to benefit the farmers of the new settlements in Eretz Israel.
[1] leaf (written on both sides), 11X13 cm. Good condition.
Category
Letters
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $300
Sold for: Unsold
Letter handwritten and signed by R. Binyamin Eisenstadt, Rabbi of Utena, son of the Pitchei Teshuvah. Utena (Lithuania), Tamuz 1892.
Addressed to R. Yosef Zechariah Stern, Rabbi of Šiauliai. A letter of recommendation for a shochet, R. Avraham Elimelech, shochet in Antalieptė, whom he praises for his expertise and moral character. He concludes the letter with a humble valediction and his signature.
R. Binyamin Eisenstadt, author of Masat Binyamin (1846-1920), Rabbi of Utena from 1868, succeeding his father, R. Avraham Tzvi, author of Pitchei Teshuvah (1813-1868). Known for his righteousness, his sharp acumen and his straightforward thinking, as an expert on monetary law.
[1] leaf. 21 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Wear and tears, affecting text. Mounted on old leaf. Folding marks and tears to mounted leaf as well.
Category
Letters
Catalogue Value
Auction 105 Books | Letters and Manuscripts | Esther Scrolls and Jewish Ceremonial Art
Jan 27, 2026
Opening: $400
Sold for: $1,188
Including buyer's premium
Assorted collections of letters of rabbis and yeshiva deans, Torah scholars and public figures – some on official stationery. Poland, ca. 1880s-1930s.
The collection includes letters from R. Yitzchak Yehudah Trunk, Rabbi of Kutno; R. Chanoch David Segal, dayan and posek in Będzin; R. Avraham Natan Elberg, head of the Beit Din of Zgierz; R. Shalom Tzvi Goldbaum, Rabbi of Glusk, Lublin; R. Yisrael Albeck, Rabbi of Zareby Koscielne; R. Avigdor Menachem Mendel Neue, Rabbi of Puławy; R. Tzemach David Tornheim, Rabbi of Belchatów; R. Chaim Posner, posek in Warsaw; R. Chaim Mordechai Brunrot, Rabbi of Ciechanów; R. Natan Nata Margaliot, Bialystok; R. Yosef Chaim son of R. Yitzchak HaKohen Brachman, posek in Ostrów; Torah letter from R. Moshe Gellert to R. Shlomo of Ostrova; two letters of R. David Shlomo Landau, rabbi in Probizhna.
22 letters, and some paper items. Varying size and condition.
Category
Letters
Catalogue Value