Handwritten by Moshe Shlomo Zalman Keyser the Scribe
Impressive artistic Pesach Haggadah, written in large letters in a font similar to those found in a Torah scroll, including tagim. Entirely written on parchment by Reb Shlomo Zalman Keyser for his sister, the wife of Tzvi Moses of London.
The Moses and Keyser families were prominent families in the Jewish community of London (note the following).
According to the beautiful title page, the Haggadah was given to his sister Rivka Miriam as a wedding gift.
Possession of the honorable (Mrs., Maras in Hebrew) Rivka Miriam , Wife of the upstanding Tzvi Ben Avraham Yehuda…
Written here in London in the year (1827) by the young Moshe Shlomo Zalman Ben Asher Anshel Keyser from Amsterdam
Given to his sister on her wedding day
A piece of red leather is affixed to the inside cover, and on it appears the owner’s name embossed in gold:
Rebecca Marianna Moses.
The manuscript has a colorful title page showing an architectural frame atop four pillars, with the images of Moshe holding the Luchos and Aharon holding the Ketores on either side. The title page is illustrated in red, green, blue and yellow. A variety of other decorations have been added to the body of the text.
The autograph of the artist who drew the title page appears in the bottom right margin in English: M Noble Pinx..(We have not yet been able to identify the artist.)
Instructions for conducting the seder are in Yiddish, and the songs at the end of the Haggadah were translated into Yiddish. Includes the original Yiddish song of “Alemechtiger G-t”. In addition to the Yiddish translation, there is a commentary by Mateh Aharon on the “Chad Gadya” song.
Moshe Shlomo Zalman Keyser of Amsterdam later became a wealthy talmid chacham and one of the leaders of London’s Jewish community. He published Seder L’Chinuch Habayis 1864 and his name appears in the sefer Yad Malachi , Berlin, 1857 , It is known that he corresponded with Rabbi Shmuel Salant in Jerusalem regarding the money he sent to rebuild the Churvah of Rabbi Yehuda Hachasid, as well as about other issues.
It is known that Moshe Shlomo Zalman Keyser produced at least one other handwritten and illustrated work: Seder Sheva Brachos, in 1829. It is currently in the possession of the Bar Ilan University Library (# 833). It also appears in the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts at the National Library of Israel. (# F43091).
After Mrs. Rivka Miriam Moses, the owner of this Haggadah passed away, her husband Tzvi Moses purchased a home in Jerusalem’s Matei Machse in her memory, to house a Torah scholar and 10 students (See Greivsky, Avnei Zikaron, Jerusalem, 1928, pg. 28).
London, 1827. Handwritten on parchment. [1] 55 leaves. Page size: 17.5 x 12.6 cm. A substantial amount of ink is slightly faded. Light yellow stains from ink that bled through the page, minor stains. Original leather binding with gold embossing and gilded edging. Encased in its original leather- covered casing.
