Auction 95 Early Printed Books, Chassidut and Kabbalah, Letters and Manuscripts, Engravings and Jewish Ceremonial Objects
Esh Dat, a polemical work against Nechemiah Chiya Hayyun, by R. David Nieto. London: Thomas Ilive, 1715.
A polemic book comprising two dialogues against the Sabbatean movement and against the Sabbatean Nechemiah Hayyun of Amsterdam.
Rabbi David Nieto (1654-1728), scholar of Torah and science. Dayan, orator and doctor in Livorno, and later the first rabbi of the Sephardi community in London. Author of Kuzari Sheni and Mateh Dan. One of the strongest opponents of Sabbateanism.
Nechemiah Chiya Hayyun (1655-ca. 1730), a Sabbatean scholar and kabbalist, probably the most prominent Sabbatean after Sabbatai Zevi's death.
Copy of R. Elisha Pontremoli. Inscription in his handwriting on the title page. Several corrections to one leaf, apparently in his handwriting.
R. Elisha Pontremoli (1779-1852), an Italian Torah scholar, author of many works still in manuscript. He would sign as "small Aleph".
[1], 38 leaves. [Does not include the Spanish translation of the book, Es Dat, ò Fuego Legal, which was printed with it.] Approx. 17 cm. Dark paper. Good-fair condition. Tears, including marginal tears to title page and marginal open tears to several leaves, not affecting text. New binding.
Formerly of the private collection of Dr. Israel Mehlman.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Broadside from the Proops brothers, the printers of Amsterdam, announcing the resolution of the dispute with R. Zalman, the printer of Sulzbach. Amsterdam, Tamuz 1765.
Leaf printed on one side. On the top of the leaf is a letter of the Amsterdam printers with a handwritten signature (apparently of one of the brothers, who also signed for his brother): "Yosef Yaakov and Avraham sons of the late R. Shlomo Proops Katz". After the brothers' letter is printed (in Rashi script) a confirmation by the Amsterdam community trustees, followed by the confirmation by the Amsterdam Beit Din.
The Proops brothers announce that following a compromise and the decision of R. Lipman, son of R. Zalman of Sulzbach, to remunerate them, the printer of Sulzbach has been granted permission to complete his edition of the Talmud, without affecting their right to print their edition.
The Sulzbach edition of the Talmud (1755-1763) was the focus of a dispute between printers which engendered a controversy between rabbis. Shortly after the beginning of printing, the Proops brothers of Amsterdam appealed to the rabbis of Vaad Arba Aratzot with the contention that the printing of the Sulzbach edition infringed their printing rights. The printers in Amsterdam were at the time publishing their own Talmud edition, and had received rabbinic approbations granting them exclusive rights to print the Talmud for a period of twenty-five years. The Vaad Arba Aratzot and other rabbis hastened to ban the Sulzbach Talmud, prohibiting studying from that edition of the Talmud and ruling that the volumes should be burnt (!) or at least buried. The dispute persisted, however, as the rabbis of Fürth, led by R. David Strauss, backed R. Zalman, the printer from Sulzbach. In 1764 R. Zalman announced a reprint of his edition, leading the dispute to erupt once again. The dispute continued for a long while and eventually drew the attention of leading rabbis of that time, such as the Noda BiYehudah who intervened to mediate between the printers.
[1] leaf. 36.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. Folds.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.
Collection of books and booklets of Shlomo Yehudah Leib Friedlander, the famous forger of the Talmud Yerushalmi on Seder Kodashim:
• Tosefta, Seder Zera'im and Nashim, with commentary Cheshek Shlomo by Shlomo Leib Friedlander. Two parts: Pressburg, 1889-1890. With title pages in French and preface on the manuscripts forming the basis for the text. First published work of Shlomo Friedlander, already displaying forgery, as the purported manuscripts never existed.
• Kesher Bogdim. Pressburg, 1891. Article against R. Aryeh Schwartz who had criticized his work Cheshek Shlomo on the Tosefta.
• Preface to Tosefta with Cheshek Shlomo. Tyrnau, 1930. Published posthumously by Friedlander's son.
• Talmud Yerushalmi (forged) on Seder Kodashim, with Cheshek Shlomo commentary. Part I: Zevachim and Arachin, Part II: Chulin and Bechorot. Seini, [1906]-1909. Both volumes. Ownership inscription on title page of first volume of "Yisrael Yonatan Yerushalimski" [1860-1917; son of R. Yaakov Moshe Direktor and son-in-law of the Ridvaz, author of a commentary on the Yerushalmi and Rabbi of Slutsk and Safed; father-in-law of R. Yechezkel Abramsky, author of Chazon Yechezkel on the Tosefta].
The lost Talmud Yerushalmi on Seder Kodashim was never printed. In the beginning of the 20th century, a man named Shlomo Friedlander (under a false identity) skillfully copied all the early quotations from the Talmud Yerushalmi and other sources and announced that he had found an ancient manuscript of the lost Talmud Yerushalmi. This forgery misled most rabbis and scholars of the time, while certain others recognized and publicly exposed the forgery. After the forgery was confirmed, most copies were discarded.
5 volumes. Varying size and condition. Overall good-fair to fair condition. Wear and tears. Worn bindings. The books were not thoroughly examined, and are being sold as is.
PLEASE NOTE: Item descriptions were shortened in translation. For further information, please refer to Hebrew text.