Manuscript, Zivchei Shelamim, by R. Yehuda Diwan. [Turkey?, 1825].
Oriental script. Colorful, illustrated title page. Colorful ornament at the end of the foreword (vases with flowers), and other ornaments at the beginning and end of the work.
Fully copied from the printed edition, including title page text, with the addition of the copyist's name and year of scribing – 1825.

32 leaves. Approx. 18 cm. Good–fair condition. Stains, including dampstains and marginal singeing. Worming. Minor marginal tears to some leaves. Red edges. New leather binding.

Exhibition:
• The Sephardic journey, 1492–1992. New York, Yeshiva University Museum, c1992, p. 225, no. 132.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, OT.011.001.

Manuscript, Sefer HaPeliah, attributed to Elkanah father of the prophet Shmuel (fabricated work). [Persia, late 18th century or first half of 19th century].
Colorful, decorated title page. Oriental script, with colored ornaments. The title page states: "Sefer HaPeliah on Parashat Bereshit by Elkanah…". The contents of the manuscript are not found in the known Sefer HaPeliah, though the writer uses expressions typical of this work. The writer incorporates various other topics throughout, some bizarre, such as Birkat HaChamah, segulot of the snake, various segulot, dream questions, kabbalistic piyyutim, and more.
R. Moshe Hillel studied the manuscript carefully, and came to the conclusion that it belongs to a group of pseudepigraphs fabricated by Yitzchak [=Or] son of Shmuel of Persia, who attributed this work to an early author, while adding his own content (his name appears explicitly on p. 41). Yitzchak son of Shmuel was predominantly active in the late 18th and early 19th century. R. Moshe Hillel's conclusions are recorded in his work: Sifro shel Badai: Yitzchak ben Shmuel MiParas VeChiburav HaBeduyim, Jerusalem 2017 (the present manuscript is described on pp. 51–60).
The work includes many passages original to the writer, including tales which are not known from any other source, and were obviously fabricated by the writer.

[234] pages. 16 cm. Good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear. Worming, affecting text. Marginal tears to several leaves. Inscriptions. Detached gatherings. Old leather binding, detached and damaged.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, PS.011.005.

Manuscript – Torah readings, prayers and recitals, various segulot and more. [Persia, mid–19th century].
The manuscript opens with a LaMenatze'ach Menorah decorated with red ink, comprising Shiviti and other verses. The previous page also features a LaMenatze'ach Menorah (not completed).
Most the manuscript is scribed in neat, vocalized, Oriental square script, and contains the first part of each Parashah, read on Monday, Thursday and Shabbat Minchah. Also includes the Torah reading for Rosh Chodesh, and Pitum HaKetoret.
The remaining leaves contain various selections and additions, in unskilled Oriental script: memorial prayers and other prayers recited at the cemetery, amulets and segulot, and more. Calendar for Tishrei 1854 – Shevat 1855. Some of the later inscriptions were written in the other direction, beginning from the end of the manuscript.

[105] leaves (including [13] blank leaves). 11 cm. Fair–good condition. Stains, including dampstains. Marginal tears, slightly affecting text. Inscriptions. New binding.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, PS.011.002.

Anthology of works on prayer, moladot, zodiacs, lots, and more. [Hamedan, Iran, ca. 1783–1785].
Thick volume. Neat Oriental script by one writer, with additions by other writers. Some pages of text enclosed in frames. Fine illustrations and diagrams. Volvelle on leaf 34 for calculating moladot.
The manuscript comprises various works (see Hebrew description for more details). Many familial inscriptions at the beginning, from 1749–1865, in various hands.
The manuscript opens with a list of the number of years which have passed since various historic events (such as the Deluge, the birth of the patriarchs, the building of the Temple, and more) dated 1783. This is followed by a documentation of floods which took place in Hamedan in 1780–1782.
On leaf 33, preface mentioning 1783 as the year of writing, signed by the writer Elazar son of R. Eliyahu.
The writer was presumably R. Elazar Chaim son of Eliyahu, rabbi and president of the Hamedan community. Some of the familial inscriptions pertain to his relatives.

[107] written leaves (+ many more blank leaves). 15.5 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Wear. Some worming. Minor tears and open tears, not affecting text, repaired in part with tape. Inscriptions and stamps. New leather binding.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, KU.011.012.

Manuscript, Zevach Todah by R. Yichye Tzalach, and other works on the laws of shechitah and terefot. [Calcutta? India], 1799.
Yemenite script, with some additions and inscriptions in Sephardic script, on European paper. Colorful, illustrated title page, decorated with flowers and fruit. Additional illustrated title page on verso.
Writer's colophon on p. 92b, with name of writer – Yichye son of R. Yosef Harir and date of completion – 26th Adar II 1799.
The writer was a Yemenite Jew presumably living in India. He appears to be the Yichye Harir documented as living in Calcutta, India, in 1805, in the diary of R. Shalom son of Ovadia HaKohen of Aleppo.
See Hebrew description for contents of the manuscript.

[4], 41, 41–47, 47–49, [1], 41–92; [16] leaves. 15 cm. Fair condition. Stains, including dampstains. Worming, affecting text. Marginal tears. Inscriptions, signature and stamps. Old binding, damaged.

Exhibition:
• Jews of India, exhibition catalog (Hebrew). Jerusalem, the Israel Museum, 1995.
Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, IN.011.003.