Ginat Egoz – kabbalah, by R. Yosef Gikatilla. [Hanau: Eliezer son of Chaim and Eliyahu son of Seligman Ulma, 1614]. First edition.
Many kabbalistic glosses in Ashkenazic script (some trimmed), with original commentaries and novellae. The writer is unidentified, though he was obviously well-versed in kabbalah.
2-44, 43-58, 58-75 leaves (misfoliation). Lacking title page. 28 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Tears and wear to several leaves. Large open tears to first and final leaves, affecting text, repaired in part with paper and handwritten text replacement. Old binding with leather spine, slightly damaged.

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Shenei Luchot HaBrit (Shelah), by R. Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz. Amsterdam: Immanual son of Joseph Athias, 1698. Engraved title page (by Avraham son of Yaakov HaGer).
Shenei Luchot HaBrit contains many halachic novellae, kabbalistic principles, homiletics and ethics, and incorporates all realms of the Torah. The book was received with awe throughout the Jewish world, and its teachings are quoted in the books of leading poskim and kabbalists. Many renowned Chassidic leaders were extraordinarily devoted to the study of the books of the Shelah.
This edition of the Shelah was printed in Amsterdam in 1698, birth year of the Baal Shem Tov, and Chassidic lore ties these two events.
Stamps (very faded) on second title page of Rebbe Pinchas Hager of Borşa, and stamp of his son Rebbe Chaim Ben Tzion Hager (another of his stamps on following leaf). Stamps of the Vizhnitz Beit Midrash in Shotz.
Rebbe Pinchas Hager of Borşa (d. 1941), son of Rebbe Baruch Hager of Vizhnitz, renowned as a tremendous Torah scholar, wonder-worker and philanthropist.
His son, Rebbe Chaim Ben Tzion Hager, succeeded his father as rebbe, perished in the Holocaust in 1944.
Several brief handwritten glosses, by different writers.
[4], 422; 44 leaves. Lacking [12] leaves of indexes at end of book. Approx. 30 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dark stains and dampstains. First title page damaged – tear across leaf (repaired); large, marginal open tears, affecting engraving, repaired with paper (illustration completed by hand); minor stains and traces of tape. Open tears to second title page and other leaves. Worming, slightly affecting text. Detached leaf. Stamps. New leather and cloth binding, slipcased.

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Shaar HaHachanah, laws pertaining to the ill and dying person, supplications and confessions for the deceased, and testament of the author, R. Naftali Katz, author of Semichat Chachamim. Constantinople: Yonah [Ashkenazi, 1734]. First edition.
The author, the kabbalist R. Naftali Katz (1650-1719), passed away in Constantinople on his way to Eretz Israel. The manuscript of the present composition was preserved by R. Chaim Alfandari of Constantinople. The book concludes with 12 leaves of the author's testament, based on either the original testament or an accurate copy of it. The testament later became very popular and was reprinted in dozens of editions.
Ownership inscription on title page.
[1], 36; 12 leaves. 15.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Worming, affecting text. Tear affecting text to one leaf. Title page trimmed close to heading on verso. Early binding, with damage and worming. Bookplate.

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Sefer Yetzirah, with various commentaries and the commentary of the Gaon of Vilna. Horodna, 1806. With kabbalistic diagrams. First edition of the commentary of the Gaon of Vilna.
First kabbalistic book published from the teachings of the Gaon of Vilna. Brought to print by his disciple R. Menachem Mendel of Shklow.
Sefer Yetzirah, attributed to Adam HaRishon, is an early kabbalistic book, and serves as basis for kabbalistic teachings.
12, [2], 42, [30] leaves. 18.5 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Minor wear. Worming, affecting text. Leaves trimmed with damage to text in several places. Minor tears, repaired with paper. Minor open tear, slightly affecting text. Stamps. Old binding.
Vinograd, Thesaurus of the Books of the Vilna Gaon, no. 682.

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Manuscript, fine copying of Siddur HaRashash, with kabbalistic kavanot on the Shabbat prayers. [Jerusalem, early 20th century. Presumably before 1916].
Particularly fine handwriting and layout, with ornamental elements. Some of the prayer text was written in large, square characters, while most of the kavanot and explanations were written in cursive Oriental script. Written in a ruled notebook.
A separate gathering (written on thicker paper) was bound between leaves 51 and 52, with Kavanot for Birkat Kohanim.
The present manuscript was presumably scribed by the Torah scholars of the Beit El yeshiva of kabbalists in Jerusalem, who produced various copyings of Siddur HaRashash, and entrusted them to reliable kabbalists only.
Siddur HaRashash was compiled by R. Shalom Sharabi, dean of the Beit El yeshiva, in the mid-18th century, based on the writings of the Arizal and R. Chaim Vital. It was intentionally not printed for many years, and was kept in manuscripts only. Prayer using the manuscripts of the siddur was the privilege of just a few kabbalists. Only in 1911-1916 were the various parts of the siddur finally brought to print.
The present manuscript was presumably scribed before 1916, when the part of the siddur containing Shabbat prayers was published.
1-51, [6] 52-67, [1], 68-69, 71-78, [2] leaves. 24.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear. Worming. Original binding, with leather spine. Paint stains on endpapers. Wear and damage to binding.

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