Manuscript, sermons delivered in the Jászberény community, handwritten by R. Aharon Bichler (Suditz). [Hungary, 19th century].
The title page states: "Religious sermons delivered in the synagogue of the Jászberény community". The sermons are written in Yiddish, and are arranged in several cycles of Shabbatot and special occasions: Shabbat Nachamu, Shabbat Shuvah, Shabbat Chanukah, 7th Adar, Shabbat HaGadol.
Writer's signature on the endpaper "Aharon Suditz". Signatures on the front and back endpapers, in Latin characters: "A. Bichler".
R. Aharon Bichler (Suditz) (ca. 1840-1914), disciple of R. Yehuda Aszód and later his son-in-law (in his second marriage). Disciple of the Ktav Sofer. Rabbi of Jászberény. He corresponded extensively with R. Yehuda Aszód, and many of the latter's letters to him were preserved.
Inscription in Hungarian on the front endpaper, mentioning Rabbi Dr. Leopold Löw, Neolog rabbi of Szeged.
[1] leaf, 155, 166-192, [1] pages. 25 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains. Marginal closed and open tears. Original binding, damaged.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.

Collection of manuscript leaves, Talmudic novellae, handwritten by the Neolog rabbi Löw (Leib) Schwab. Gewitsch, (Jevíčko, present day: Czech republic), 1816-1828.
One leaf is dated beginning of winter 1816-1817, in Gewitsch, and signed "Leib Schwab". Another is dated 1828.
R. [Yehuda] Leib (Löw) Schwab (1794-1857), disciple of R. Mordechai Banet and student in the Chatam Sofer's yeshiva. He also acquired a secular education, and much to the displeasure of his teachers, he became the first maskilic rabbi of Moravia, serving as rabbi of several communities, including Gewitsch, Prossnitz and Pest, where he was very active in promoting emancipation and assimilation in the surrounding society.
The present leaves were found in the notebook of sermons of R. Leopold Löw (see next item), who was a disciple of R. Schwab in Prossnitz and later married his daughter Leontine.
[19] written leaves. Approx. 24 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains and wear.
• Two handwritten leaves enclosed, passages from a sermon on charity and lovingkindness, presumably also handwritten by Schwab.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.

Manuscript, Hebrew plays and other works. [Galicia, 19th century].
The manuscript comprises several maskilic works, presumably copied by one of the Galician maskilim; several plays; a poem for Purim, dated 1862, forming the acrostic "Yerucham Fishel Shatz of Lviv", presumably the writer of the manuscript; and other works (see Hebrew description).
At the beginning of one of the works, the writer notes that he copied it in Lviv in 1864.
Fine Rococo style decoration on title page of one of the works (Igrot Met).
80 pages; 32; 13; 7; 11, [1]; 25, [1]; 72; [9] leaves (over 200 written pages); many more blank leaves. 20 cm. Good condition. Stains. Minor marginal tears to some leaves. Two detached leaves. Old binding.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.

Jerusalem Talmud, with commentaries. Zhitomir: R. Chanina Lipa and R. Yehoshua Heshel Shapira, grandsons of the rabbi of Slavita, 1860-1867. Five parts in five volumes.
First edition of the Pnei Moshe and Mareh Panim commentaries on Orders Zera'im-Moed.
The volumes contain close to fifty lengthy, scholarly handwritten glosses (some trimmed). Most the glosses are in the distinctive hand of R. Yitzchak Eizik HaLevi, author of Dorot HaRishonim, and some (over 10 glosses) are in a different hand, by an unidentified writer.
Some of the glosses of R. Yitzchak Eizik HaLevi explain the Talmudic topics; others pertain to the accurate text of the Talmud; while others still relate to the history and exact names of the Tannaim and Amoraim.
One gloss mentions the Malbim with the blessing for the living (the Malbim passed away in 1879, the glosses were therefore written before that date).
R. Yitzchak Eizik HaLevi (Tishrei 1848-1914), a leading Torah scholar of his times, communal leader and historian. He studied under the Beit HaLevi in the Volozhin yeshiva. With time, he began lobbying on behalf Russian Jewry, later founding the World Agudath Yisrael, together with R. Chaim of Brisk, R. Chaim Ozer of Vilna and R. Eliezer Gordon of Telshe.
Five volumes. Vol. I (Order Zera'im): [5], 14, 14-60; 30; 31; 33; 42; 18; 24; 18; 24, 23-33; 14; 9 leaves. Tractate Kilayim bound after Tractate Challah. Vol. II (Order Mo'ed, part I): [2], 52; [1], 55; 61 leaves. Vol. III (Order Moed, part II): [1], 39; 2-31; 17, 17-23; 20; 21; 2-23; 5, 7-32; 20; 17; 34 leaves (34 leaves belong to Tractate Shabbat, bound here in some copies). [1] leaf at beginning of volume – original printed blue wrappers (inscribed: "Volume I"); title page of Tractate Yoma lacking in present copy. Vol. IV (Order Nashim): [2], 79; 45; 64; 34; 56; 51; 41 leaves. Vol. V (Order Nezikin): [2], 33; 2-29; 2-26; 42; 31; 17, 17-26; 6; 15; 9 leaves. Tractate Makkot bound after Tractate Avoda Zara, and not after Tractate Sanhedrin as recorded in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book. 36.5 cm. Overall good condition. Stains, including dark dampstains in several places. Marginal paper repairs to title pages, wrappers of vol. III and several other leaves, affecting borders and slightly affecting text. Minor open tear to wrappers of vol. III. Old bindings, with damage to bindings and spines (one spine partially lacking).

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Ketubah recording the marriage of a convert. Marrakesh (Morocco), Sivan 1886.
Semi-cursive Western script, with decorations. Verses and blessings at top. The ketubah was written following the custom of the "megorashim" (Spanish exiles).
The ketubah is signed by the witness R. Yehuda Shoshana (who presumably also wrote the final line of the ketubah) – one of the Tzadikim of Morocco and leader of the Marrakesh community, who was killed for refusing to transgress the Shabbat, after being falsely accused of cursing Muhammad.
[1] leaf. 40 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Wear and folding marks, closed and open tears, affecting text. Paper repairs in several places.

PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.