Manuscript, handwritten leaves and printed newspaper, documenting the Mantua wedding disaster in 1776. [Mantua, 1776]. Italian interspersed with Hebrew.
In 1776, a terrible disaster occurred in the Mantuan community. On 31st May, three weddings took place in the ghetto. Two of the brides were not local, but rather from Sabbioneta and Ferrara. Their families came to Mantua in honor of the wedding, resulting in an uncommonly large gathering. The guests crowded into the home of Chananel Yosef Finzi, on the third floor of one of the ghetto buildings. The floor collapsed, bringing the lower two stories down with it. 65 of the participants were killed in this tragedy – 37 men and 28 women. 37 others were seriously injured. One of the brides was amongst the fatalities, and thus the great rejoicing turned into mourning. The Chida, who was on a mission in Italy at the time, in nearby Ferrara, documented the event in his diary Maagal Tov. One of the rabbis of Mantua, R. Yaakov Refael Saraval, whose daughter was killed in the disaster, commemorated the tragedy by composing the Kinat Sofdim lamentation (printed that year in Mantua). The date of the tragedy was ordained in the Mantua community for posterity as a day of prayer, fasting and recital of Selichot (see: Simonsohn, Toldot HaYehudim BeDukasut Mantova, I, Jerusalem 1963, p. 58; Yael Levin, MiMantova Ve'ad Versailles: Wedding Disasters in the Month of Sivan, Mekor Rishon, Shabbat, 17th June 2011, pp. 12-13).
The present item includes:
• An 18-leaf manuscript, containing a description of the disaster, written shortly thereafter by an anonymous author. A list of the victims with their names and ages is recorded at the end of the manuscript. Italian interspersed with Hebrew.
• A double handwritten leaf (3 pages), with a list of the names of the victims. The names of the 37 men killed in the disaster are listed first, followed by the names of the 28 women. Italian.
• A double handwritten leaf (2 pages), containing the list of those injured in the disaster. Italian.
• A copy of the Mantuan newspaper, issue 23, dated 7th June 1776 (several days later), reporting the tragedy.
Manuscript: [18] leaves. Original, printed cardboard binding. + [2] double leaves + issue of printed newspaper: [4] pages. Size varies, overall good condition. Stains and wear.
From the estate of Prof. Shlomo Simonsohn.

Tzemach Tzaddik, wisdom and ethics, by R. Yehuda Aryeh (Leon) de Modena. [Venice: Daniel Zanetti, 1600]. First edition.
The composition deals with the refinement of character traits (based on teachings of Jewish and gentile sages), with a chapter dedicated to each trait. Each chapter begins with a woodcut illustration, related to the chapter's topic. This book is one of the few early Hebrew books printed with illustrations. The book was printed anonymously, though the name of the author is alluded to at the beginning of the preface: "Renowned in Yehuda… the lion (Aryeh) roared", and with an acronym in the colophon at the end of the book. These are two incomplete copies of two variants of the same edition, with differences in the illustrations: on p. 13b, each copy features a different illustration. On p. 15b, the illustration was printed upside-down in one copy.
Copy 1: 2-11, 13-40 leaves (originally 40 leaves. Lacking title page and leaf 12. Leaf 2 was bound back-to-front). 13.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains, tears and wear, affecting text in several places. Paper repairs to several leaves. New binding. Copy 2: 2-7, 9-32, 34-40 leaves (originally 40 leaves. Lacking title page, leaves 8 and 33. Leaf 40 is torn and half-missing, repaired with paper; with handwritten replacement of missing text. Title page and most of the missing pages were replaced with photocopies). 14 cm. Fair condition. Stains, tears and wear, affecting text in several places. Dampstains. Worming. New binding.

Important collection of Seder HaHaaracha booklets and Pragmatika broadsides – tax and communal regulations of the Jewish community of Mantua, printed between 1649 and 1793.
"Seder HaHaaracha VehaHanhaga" is the name of tax regulations which were printed from time to time, from the late 16th century until the late 18th century in the Mantua community. The authors of the regulations – "Mesadrei HaHaaracha", who were appointed by the community institutions, established the various criteria for tax assessment and for the community constitution. The regulations were generally instituted for the coming three years, and at the end of this period, a new booklet was published, with the regulations to be applied in the next three-year period.
This collection belonged to Prof. Shlomo Simonsohn, and some of its historic contents was integrated into his fundamental book Toldot HaYehudim BeDukasut Mantova, Jerusalem 1963-1965.
Study of these regulations sheds light on the change in the economic situation of the Jews of Mantua over the years. These booklets serve as a valuable, historical source on Jewish community life in the 17th and 18th centuries, and offer many details on the various occupations of the members of the community, the merchandise and types of property, and more (see Simonsohn, Toldot HaYehudim BeDukasut Mantova, I, pp. 274-284 regarding the tax regulations and Sidrei HaHaaracha). Starting from the beginning of the 18th century, an announcement of excommunication was added at the end of the regulations, which applied to any member of the community who did not conform with the regulations.
Seder HaPragmatika or Seder HaHaskama was the set of standards regulating the conduct of the community members, instituted for a period of six years. These regulations contained various clauses which determined, in great detail, the standards of acceptable conduct in various areas: the use of luxurious clothes and fabric, wigs, jewelry and jewels; modesty in women's clothing and their conduct in public places; the scope of various celebrations and the maximum amount of money to be spent on weddings; the prohibition of gambling with cards, dices and the like; and many other regulations. (For more information on the history of Pragmatika, see: Simonsohn, Toldot HaYehudim BeDukasut Mantova, II, pp. 386-395).
This collection comprises the Seder HaHaaracha booklets printed in the years: 1695, 1701, 1726, 1732, 1744, 1750, 1759 (two copies, one is lacking 4 leaves), 1774, 1777 (two different booklets, one entitled Eleh HaDevarim), 1786, 1793. Several booklets contain handwritten emendations.
The collection also includes: A broadside – "Seder HaHaskama… Regarding the Clothing and Jewelry of Men and Women, and Regarding Banquets and Gifts…" printed in 1650, and two large Seder HaPragmatika broadsides, printed in 1759 and 1765.
16 paper items. 13 booklets (one lacking 4 leaves), in varying sizes; one broadside, 41.5X31 cm; two particularly large broadsides, 56.5X40 cm. Good condition. Light-colored, high-quality paper. Stains. Dampstains. Traces of past dampness to one booklet, with mold. Unopened pages in many booklets. Fold lines to broadsides.
From the estate of Prof. Shlomo Simonsohn.

Letter handwritten (Rashi script) and signed by R. Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook. London, Tevet 1918.
Addressed to "My beloved friend, the illustrious scholar… Mr. Mordechai Elias" – his disciple during his stay in London. Rav Kook composed for him an interesting poem of well-wishes. The first section is an acrostic of the recipient's name – Mordechai Elias. R. Kook then praises his disciple for successfully pursuing his higher education while remaining steadfast in his faith and fear of G-d.
This poem was written on the occasion of Mr. Mordechai Elias's immigration to Eretz Israel.
Written on the official visiting card of R. Kook, from his stay in London at the end of WWI, with the following letterhead (Hebrew and English): "A.I. Kook (Chief Rabbi of Jaffa & Colonies of Palestine) – at present Rabbi of Machzike Hadath… London".
The recipient of the letter, Mordechai Elias (1892-1950), immigrated to Jerusalem in 1919. A diplomat and Zionist activist, he worked as a senior lawyer in Eretz Israel during the British Mandate. Following the declaration of the State of Israel, he served as first ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom. He studied law in the universities of Jarosław, Berlin and Oxford. During his stay in England, he became attached to R. Kook (who was then in exile in Europe, due to WWI), and became his close disciple. He was one of the founders of the Yeshurun synagogue in Jerusalem.
Printed card. Approx. 11 cm. Heavy stock paper. Fair-good condition. Open tears to corners, affecting text.
The entire letter was printed in Igrot HaRaayah (part III, p. 308, letter 13 in appendix). See enclosed material.