Shaarei Teshuvah, by Rabbeinu Yonah Gerondi, "the pious". Cracow: Yitzchak son of Aharon of Prostitz, 1581.

Fine copy.

Shaarei Teshuvah deals with the fundamental issues of repentance and atonement for sins, and it is one of the classic books on the precept of repentance. The book contains four sections. The first section delineates the actions required of the sinner who wishes to repent. The second section deals with various factors that bring a person to repent. The third section is comprised of a detailed description of dozens of commandments and sins, ordered by severity. The fourth and final section mentions different types of atonement for various sins. Shaarei Teshuvah, in its familiar form, was originally one part of a larger and more comprehensive work that included other sections (which in Hebrew are referred to as "gates", and are mentioned occasionally in the book), but these "gates" have not come down to us.

The author, Rabbeinu Yonah Gerondi (of Gerona; ca. 1210-1263), one of the great medieval Torah authorities, was a rabbi in Catalonia and a central and influential figure in Spanish Jewish life in the 13th century. He was known in his lifetime as a great preacher and one of the important Talmudic commentators (the novellae he wrote on several tractates have been mostly lost). His fame for the ages derives mainly from the ethical books he authored, including Iggeret HaTeshuvah, Sefer HaYirah and first and foremost Shaarei Teshuvah. Shaarei Teshuvah was highly influential even in the author's own time, and in subsequent generations it was a recognized influence on a diverse range of authors.

See further on Rabbeinu Yonah and his writings: Y.M. Ta-Shma, Ashkenazic Pietism in Spain: Rabbeinu Yonah Gerondi – the Man and His Work, Studies in Medieval Rabbinic Literature, Volume 2: Spain, Bialik Institute, Jerusalem, 2004, pp. 109-148 (Hebrew).

At the end of the book (pp. 38b-44) is printed Sefer HaYirah by Rabbeinu Yonah Gerondi (first printed in Halichot Olam, Leiria, ca. 1495).

Interesting colophon on last leaf: "Blessed is the Lord, the G-d of Israel Who helped me up to this point, to complete the holy work authored by… Rabbeinu Yonah Gerondi, Shaarei Teshuvah with Sefer HaYirah… And I bow down and prostrate myself that my dreams were for good and blessing, as I dreamed on Rosh Hashanah to bring this book to press… So may G-d save me and all of Israel from bad dreams and evil decrees… Such is the prayer of Yitzchak son of R. Aharon Prostitz the typesetter; completed on the 5th of [Elul 1581]".

On title page, signatures and ownership inscriptions of "The bridegroom R. Natan Meisling of Copenhagen".

Handwritten correction of printing error on p. 29a.

44 leaves. Misfoliation. Approx. 19 cm. Good condition. Stains. Damage to margins of last leaf, bordering text, repaired with paper filling. Stamp on title page. New leather binding.

Tehillim, with the Beurei Zohar and Metzudat Tzion commentaries. Safed: R. Yisrael Bak, [1833].

One of the first books printed by R. Yisrael Bak in Safed, about one year after he established his printing press in the city.

The printer of Berditchev, R. Yisrael Bak (1797-1874), a disciple of the Chassidic masters R. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and R. Yisrael of Ruzhin. At a young age he established a printing press in Berditchev, where he was active for about nine years. Following his immigration to Eretz Israel, ca. 1831, he settled in Safed, where he established a printing press. After the great 1837 earthquake which completely destroyed the town, he established the first Hebrew printing press in Jerusalem, and the only press in the city for over 20 years.

On verso of title page, introduction of printer R. Yisrael Bak: "As for all the buyers who purchase and expend their gold and silver on the books printed here in the Holy Land, and especially the books of Tehillim with the Zohar which one should keep close at hand, may G-d save them from all distress, damage and anxiety…". Another lengthy introduction by the publisher, R. Gershon Margaliot, telling how he begged R. Yisrael Bak not to print the kabbalistic Beurei Zohar by itself but rather next to the Tehillim verses, as it was in fact eventually printed.

Kavanat HaMeshorer is printed at the beginning of each Psalm. The volume also contains prayers recited before and after reading Tehillim on weekdays, Shabbat, Yom Tov and Hoshana Rabba night and a prayer on behalf of the sick and order of Pidyon Nefesh.

Ownership inscriptions and dedication on endpaper and title page, and stamp on endpaper of R. Menachem Mendel Diesendruck (1902-1974), rabbi of the Sephardic community of Lisbon and rabbi of the Sephardic Beit Yaakov community in São Paulo.

[4], 152 leaves. 15 cm. Overall good condition. Stains. Small open tear to title page, not affecting text. Early binding, with leather spine. Wear and damage to binding (front part of binding partially detached).

Printed leaf (printed on both sides) – Alot HaBrit – poster announcing the ban against schools and secular studies with dozens of signatures (printed) of R. Yehoshua Leib (Maharil) Diskin, Rabbi of Brisk, and 275 other rabbis of Jerusalem and leaders of the Ashkenazi communities in Jerusalem. [Jerusalem: printer not indicated, 12th Adar I 1878].

The signature of Maharil Diskin, the Gaon of Brisk, appears first ("R. Moshe Yehoshua Yehudah Leib son of R. Binyamin Rabbi of Brisk"), followed by 275 other signatures, including R. Yaakov Yehudah Löwy, head of the Jerusalem Beit Din along with his court; R. Mordechai Eliezer Weber, the Rabbi of Ada (disciple of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz); R. Baruch Mendelbaum, Rabbi of Turaw; R. Yitzchak David Biderman of Lelov, Rebbe Elazar Menachem Biderman of Lelov and his son Rebbe David Tzvi Shlomo of Lelov; kabbalist R. Hillel Moshe Gelbstein; kabbalist R. Yitzchak Böhm of Carei, his son R. Yaakov Yehudah and his grandson R. Yechiel Böhm; R. Uri son of R. Moshe Orenstein, his son R. Yeshayah and his grandson R. Yaakov Orenstein; and more.

In 1856, the rabbis of Jerusalem had already issued a ban against the Lämel school, one of the first schools in Jerusalem to incorporate secular studies (established with the financial support and at the initiative of the wealthy Lämel family of Austria, and headed by teacher and journalist Ludwig August von Frankl). The poster of 1856 was signed by R. Shmuel Salant, his father-in-law R. Yosef Zundel of Salant and many other rabbis. The ban was renewed and expanded in 1862, 1866 and 1873, adding signatures of R. Meir Auerbach Rabbi of Kalisz and Jerusalem (author of Imrei Binah), R. Moshe Yehudah Leib Silberberg the Gaon of Kutno (author of Zayit Raanan), R. Nachum of Szadek and others.

One of the main goals of Maharil Diskin Rabbi of Brisk, upon his arrival in Jerusalem on 29th Tamuz 1877, was to strengthen the breaches in holiness and education in Jerusalem, and to assist the rabbis of the city in their fight against the Haskalah. This was after various parties from outside of Eretz Israel established various institutions in order to interfere with traditional Jewish education in Jerusalem. When the Maharil Diskin arrived, the rabbis and leaders of Jerusalem redoubled their efforts in the fight against Haskalah schools.

The present poster, Alot HaBrit, is the poster that Maharil Diskin worked to have signed for over half a year from the time of his arrival. He had the leaders of all the Ashkenazi communities in Jerusalem sign to accept upon themselves and their children all the prohibitions and decrees appearing therein [the Sephardi communities did not join the ban, beginning with the 1856 ban, apart from a few Sephardi rabbis who on various occasions called to join the ban (see an 1882 poster in Kedem catalogue 98, Lot 179, where R. Refael Yedidiah Abulafia and R. Eliyahu Suleiman Mani called to join the Ashkenazi rabbis' ban); their view was not however accepted by the mainstream of the Sephardic rabbis – and indeed most of the students of the schools placed under ban were from Sephardic families in the city].

This ban of 1878 added provisions and prohibitions that were not present in the previous bans, in which only studying in the schools was prohibited. In this decision the prohibition was expanded, with the present poster reading:

"Forbidding learning of secular studies – even those which are by law permissible to study are nevertheless forbidden to study under a dedicated teacher who is paid from abroad. Likewise forbidding study of foreign scripts and languages, not to be studied in a group in any place, neither in a school nor as an added subject in Torah schools, even absolutely trivially, in any way, even by a G-d-fearing supervisor".

The poster goes on to have the signatories accept all the prohibitions upon themselves and their children: "…However, so as not to leave room for those who come after us to find loopholes in any small provision to interpret its words as they please to violate these rules, we therefore come to accept the above prohibition upon ourselves anew and to clearly explain every single detail. The old and new prohibitions are binding for all study of foreign languages… The decrees and bans apply even to the official language. The decrees and bans are binding on all who come to learn and teach… and all who found and assist, and fathers of boys and girls…".

On several occasions, the Maharil Diskin sent his disciples (R. Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, R. Leib Chefetz, R. Shlomo Zalman Porush) to publicly declare the ban, as for instance during the visit of the leaders of the Alliance Israélite Universelle in the Hurva synagogue and on other occasions. These disciples declared the ban at high personal risk, and were beaten savagely by thugs hired to that end by the initiators of the school – as already documented at length in historical books and periodicals of the Edah HaCharedit in Jerusalem, which detail the battle for the souls of the community's children (see: Tochachat Megulah poster, Jerusalem 1887 – Kedem catalogue, Auction 98, Lot 181; and see further: Amud Esh, Jerusalem 1954, pp. 125-126; HaIsh Al HaChomah, 2023 edition, II, chapter 16, pp. 47-82; and more).

The Lämel school served as a sort of orphanage and shelter for the poor, and its curriculum included secular studies and foreign languages, along with songs and dances, and many games and activities for children. The school faced heavy opposition at its founding, mainly on the part of the Ashkenazi rabbis and Yishuv Yashan in Jerusalem, who were concerned about the secular studies and foreign languages studied, and the novel pedagogical methods. The leading rabbis of Jerusalem, headed by Maharil Diskin and R. Shmuel Salant and his court, announced several bans against the Lämel school and the Alliance Israélite Universelle schools founded in its wake (to this day, many Orthodox institutions in Jerusalem avoid teaching foreign languages in class, allowing only tutoring in pairs – as some of the original bans apply the prohibition of teaching foreign languages to a class of three or more students).

During the Maharil Diskin's fierce battle against the schools in Jerusalem, a tourist staying in Jerusalem at the time describes his impressions on a visit to the Maharil Diskin's home: "…I saw the Rabbi of Brisk for a whole hour, and people of bitter heart and soul afflicted with suffering and sickness would come to him one by one to receive a blessing, to ask him to pray to annul the strict decrees, and the rabbi would sympathize with the pain of each and every one; his whispering voice was sweet and his eyes were full of compassion, sitting and listening to their groans and offering them his blessing and counsel, and he was visibly sick with the sickness of the offspring of the holy people… And when I stood up to leave, I innocently touched on the question of the schools in Jerusalem, and in a moment his appearance was changed; the rabbi stood shaking from his chair and was filled with a great zeal to the point that all his bones shook and his tongue swept fiery coals and he was like one of the fiery angels… He stripped off one form and took on another – and what man is privy to the secret of his conduct and inspiration, which is beyond my grasp…?" (Amud Esh, Jerusalem 1954, p. 112).

[1] leaf, printed on both sides. 35 cm. Fair condition. Tears and open tears, slightly affecting text. Stains and various inscriptions.

The present poster is particularly rare. Not documented in Sh. Halevy or in the Bibliography of the Hebrew Book, and does not appear in the NLI catalogue.

Many copies of this historical poster have been reprinted in Jerusalem over the course of time (generally with the hundreds of signatories omitted). The present poster is the original, including all the hundreds of signatures, printed in 1878.

Letter of leaders of the Chassidic community in Jerusalem, opposing the establishment of modern schools in Hebron, signed by Rebbe David Tzvi Shlomo Biderman of Lelov (along with his stamp), his brother Rebbe Alter Biderman, his brother R. Meir Adler, R. Elazar Natan Shapiro and R. Menachem Mendel Rubin (and their stamps). Jerusalem, 47th day of the Omer [3rd Sivan] 1905.

Draft of an announcement with additions and erasures [apparently never sent to press]: "Whose eye would not weep, and what man of heart will not be upset when seeing the lowly state of the holy city of Hebron… for the settlement's support has nearly collapsed… And we are frightful lest our mortal enemies surround us… to establish there houses of hell (secular schools)… to pollute the holy air with deathly poison, a city which, thank G-d, remains pure and holy…". The poster continues with a call to support the emissary "R. Sh. L." [apparently R. Shlomo Leib Eliezerov], who went to great lengths to support the Torah school and yeshiva.

The rabbis who signed bless the donors: "And in the merit of (the Torah) the great mitzvah, may you be saved eternally with all your wishes for the good, to be blessed with all blessings said and repeated for the reward of those who settle the Holy Land and work in support of the holy Torah, for the sake of Him Who is good to all, always, and may we all merit to see the cities of Judea and the comforts of Zion and Jerusalem speedily in our days…".

With signatures of the rabbis and rebbes: "David Tzvi Shlomo son of R. Elazar Menachem", "Elazar Natan Kahana Shapiro"; "Menachem Mendel Rubin"; "Meir Adler"; "Alter son of R. E[lazar] M[enachem]".

Rebbe David Tzvi Shlomo Biderman (1844-1918), son of Rebbe Elazar Menachem Mendel of Lelov (1827-1883), leader of the Chassidic communities of Jerusalem. R. David Tzvi was holy and pure from his youth. In 1850, when his grandfather Rebbe Moshele of Lelov travelled to Eretz Israel and took leave of Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin, the Ruzhiner said that the boy David has "shining, bright eyes". Over the years, he would travel from Jerusalem to Karlin and became one of the leading Chassidim of the Beit Aharon. His father, Rebbe Elazar Mendel, attested that he never ceased to see God as standing before him. The Yismach Yisrael of Aleksander dubbed him a Sefer Torah. R. Chaim Shmuel of Chęciny said that for many years he was the "Tzaddik of the generation". Upon his father’s death in 1883 he was appointed rebbe, and was the primary leader of the Chassidic community of Jerusalem.

R. Elazar Natan Kahana-Shapira (ca. 1820-1917), father of the Kahana-Shapira family in Jerusalem. He immigrated to Eretz Israel in the early 1840s along with his father, R. Yechiel Asher Shmuel Kahana-Shapira Rabbi of Żalin (d. 1852), and was a leader of the Chassidic community in Jerusalem.

R. Menachem Mendel Rubin (ca. 1850-1915), a leader of the Chassidic community in Jerusalem, author of Masa Meron (Jerusalem, 1889). Son of R. Shmuel Aharon Rubin, Rabbi of Korczyna (ca. 1823-1877).

R. Meir Shlomo Yehudah Adler (d. 1922), son-in-law of Rebbe Elazar Menachem Biderman of Lelov. Established the Chayei Olam yeshiva in Jerusalem along with his brother-in-law Rebbe David Tzvi Shlomo of Lelov.

Rebbe Alter Biderman of Lelov-Sosnowitz (1862-1933), son of R. Elazar Menachem Biderman of Lelov and Jerusalem. Although his name was Avraham Betzalel Natan Nata, he was known as Alter (and sometimes would only sign his name Alter). In 1894 he left Eretz Israel for four years. At the beginning of World War I he traveled to Poland and settled in Sosnowitz (Sosnowiec), and soon became known as "the rebbe from Eretz Israel" and earned the reputation of a wonder-worker. His customs and dress followed that of Jerusalem. A year and a half after his passing on 20th Kislev 1935, his body was brought to Eretz Israel for burial on the Mount of Olives, and the Chevra Kadisha attested that his body was complete and free of decay. He was succeeded in Sosnowitz by his nephew R. Mordechai son of his brother R. Yerachmiel Yosef.

Mentioned in the letter, R. Shlomo Yehudah Leib Eliezerov (1863-1952), rabbi and leader of the Chabad and Ashkenazi community in Hebron, and emissary to the Jewish community of Bukhara-Samarkand, founder of the Magen Avot and Torat Emet yeshivas in Hebron. His father was R. Eliezer Shimon Kazarnovsky, grandson of Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel Slonim, daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe. In 1873, at the age of 10, he immigrated with his parents to Eretz Israel and settled in Hebron. He studied Torah under the rabbis of Hebron – R. Shimon Menashe Chaikin and R. Eliyahu Mani. He traveled to Uzbekistan as an emissary for the Sephardic community in Hebron, and in 1897 he was appointed Chief Rabbi of Bukhara-Samarkand, where he changed his surname to Eliezerov (after his father). His halachic responsa are printed in She'elat Shlomo (Jerusalem 2002).

[1] leaf. 23 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Wear and minor tears.

Letter (approx. 11 lines) handwritten and signed by Rebbe "Shalom Moskowitz of Shotz". London, Isru Chag [the day after Pesach, ca. 1940s-1950s].

Addressed to R. Yechezkel Abramsky, head rabbi of the London Beit Din, "the renowned rabbi with the heart of a lion, R. Yechezkel Abramsky".

The Rebbe writes that he heard that R. Abramsky's wife was suffering from a heart disease, and he empathizes with their pain, giving advice and a diet for a recovery, with many blessings: "Today I heard that your wife, the Rebbetzin, is weak with pain in her heart, and I am very pained. May G-d support her and may she recover soon; 'a valiant woman is the crown of her husband'. And although I have not been asked, I answer by writing her a Segulah, as follows. For a full month she should not drink any beverage with sugar, only with honey; in the second month, with sugar and not with honey; in the third month, only with honey, alternating in this way, since honey is a natural cure to the heart, of course from the good flowers. She should do this alternately for at least thirty years, and afterwards we will, if G-d wishes, speak further, and may she soon recover…".

Rebbe Shalom Moskovitz of Shotz (1877-1958), a descendant of R. Michel of Zlotchov and R. Meir of Premishlan; foremost rebbe in the previous generation. He was proficient in all areas of Torah, and a great posek. In his youth, he was ordained by the Maharsham of Berezhany and even lived in his home for nine months to attend to him. He served G-d devotedly and was a kabbalist, known for working wonders by his awesome prayers, like a son beseeching his father. He was a disciple of the Rebbe of Shinova and the Belz rebbes. He served as Rabbi of Suceava from 1903, and he was the teacher of R. Meir Shapiro of Lublin, the founder of Daf Yomi. From 1927, he served as rebbe in London. He authored many books on the Talmud, Torah, Chassidut and more. He was highly esteemed by the great rebbes of his generation and word of his greatness and holiness spread all over the world. His diligence was rare; he would study Torah for hours and hours, stopping only for meals or mitzvah purposes. At the same time, his London home was wide open and people from all circles came to seek his blessing, ask for guidance and request halachic rulings. In his will, he pledged to arouse Heavenly mercy upon anyone who would visit his gravesite, light two candles in his memory, and undertake to strengthen himself in a mitzvah or in Torah study (at his request, this promise is printed at his gravesite in three languages: Hebrew, Yiddish and English).

The Rebbe of Shotz fought against secularism and Zionism; when the state of Israel was established he published a polemical tract (London, 1950) demanding the leaders of the state allow religious Jews and Torah institutions to preserve their way of life.

[1] leaf, official stationery. 20.5 cm. Good condition. Light stains and folding marks.