Auction 1 - Rare Hebrew Books, Manuscripts & Rabbinic Letters
Lot 3:
Description
Unlike the formal synagogue mahzorim and siddurim intended for public worship, small handwritten collections of bakashot and piyyutim often served as deeply personal books of devotion. Individually compiled and copied for private use, they accompanied their owners throughout the year, preserving beloved hymns and supplications for festivals, life-cycle events, and special occasions. Each manuscript reflects the religious tastes and liturgical customs of its compiler, making such volumes as individual as the hands that wrote them.
The present manuscript opens not with a title, but with the stirring verses from Psalms (34:2-4): “אברכה את ה׳ בכל עת תמיד תהלתו בפי, בה׳ תתהלל נפשי ישמעו ענוים וישמחו, גדלו לה׳ איתי ונרממה שמו יחדיו” – an apt invocation for a volume devoted entirely to prayer and praise. Throughout the manuscript, the scribe carefully supplied occasional vocalization and variant textual readings, suggesting that the booklet was intended not merely for preservation but for active recitation.
Particularly noteworthy is the final leaf, where a later hand added a blessing recited at the circumcision of a convert (ger). This small addition provides a glimpse into the continued life of the manuscript, demonstrating that it remained a useful liturgical companion long after its original compilation.
Manuscript on parchment, with Sirtut (scored guidelines or etched grooves made into parchment (klaf) to help a scribe write straight). 34 paginated folios. Miniature format. Contemporary sewn binding in leather. Entirely handwritten in a neat square Hebrew script, ruled throughout with faint hand-drawn pencil lines. Containing a collection of bakashot and piyyutim for various festivals and occasions. With occasional handwritten vocalization (nekudot) and variant textual glosses.
Very good condition. A few light blue ink stains and traces of old tape residue. Final leaf with a later handwritten blessing for the circumcision of a convert.
Provenance: Michael Krupp (מיכאל אביונה), the collection of P. Klonimus Ariel, NJ
Opening price $1000
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