Important Discovery!
Manuscript of
Several Fundamental Works from
the Rishonim.
Prague, 1579
An invaluable manuscript containing a collection of essays, which together comprise the legacy of Ashkenazic Rishonim regarding the laws and Kabbalistic secrets of safrus and writing Sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzos.
Essays included in this historic manuscript encompass works from Rishonim that are the foundations for all Hilchos STa”M, codified by the Poskim throughout the past centuries regarding writing Sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzos.
The manuscript also contains works that are completely unknown, and have not been found in any other manuscript.
Manuscript Content:
1. Dinei Psuchos U’Sesumos (marked in pencil on leaves 193a-200b)
Tikkun Sefer Torah authored by Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Milhausen, author of Sefer Hanitzachon.
Leaf 200b: “Tikkun Torah composed by Rabbi YT whose fruits [of his pen] are accurate and good.”
This essay is mentioned by several Ashkenazic scholars, including the Rema in Darchei Moshe L’HaRema in Hilchos Sefer Torah. There were many years when this work was presumed to be lost, however it was rediscovered and printed in Kovetz Sinai Vol. 60 (1967) pp. 232-268.
2. Tikkun Alpha-Beta L’Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Milhausen based on the Revealed and Hidden Torah (marked in pencil on leaves 200b-214b)
This fundamental composition includes two parts: 1) Detailed explanation of the letter shapes based on the Revealed Torah 2) Kabbalistic explanation of the letters
The end of leaf 214b bears the closing statement characteristically employed by Rabbi Yom Tov Milhausen: “this is the tefillah of Tivyomi (Yom Tov)”.
3. Remazim al Hatagim V’ha’osiyos (Allusions of the Crowns and Letters) (marked in pencil on leaves 215a-216b)
This anthology concludes with a poem, with the first letter of each line forming the acrostic “Menachem bar Baruch”.
Genazym has not found any mention of this composition and concluding poem in any other source.
4. Psuchos U’Sesumos shel Megillas Esther miRabbi Yehuda Hachassid (marked in pencil on leaf 217a)
The handwritten title reads: “Psuchos and sesumos of Megillas Esther, I copied these from the manuscript of Rabbi Rabbeinu Yuda Chassid ben Rabbeinu Shmuel Chassid.”
Prior to Rabbi Yehuda Hachassid’s manuscript of Megillas Esther, the prevalent source for Tikkun was Rabbeinu Tam’s personal manuscript of Megillas Esther, which the author mentions twice in the present essay.
This primary source is particularly enlightening regarding the question of parshiyos psuchos and sesumos (spaces in Tanach denoting new sections) in Rabbeinu Tam’s Megillas Esther. While some opinions cite Rabbeinu Tam as saying that all parshiyos in the Megillah are sesumos, here Rabbi Yehuda Hachassid proves, based on Rabbeinu Tam’s Megillas Esther which he held in his possession, that some of the parshiyos are clearly psuchos.
Aside from the essay in the present manuscript, there is one other known source of Rabbi Yehuda Hachassid’s above essay; see Yerushaseinu Vol. 1 Bnei Brak, 2007 pp. 26-27.
5. Sefer Baruch She’amar (marked in pencil on leaves 217b-245b)
Fundamental composition on writing tefillin, beginning from the preliminary stage of processing the parchment and until the writing is complete. Baruch She’amar includes the essay Tikkun Tefillin by Rabbi Avraham of Zunsheim, a talmid of Maharam Rottenberg, along with numerous comments and additions by Rabbi Shimon ben Eliezer who was called “Baruch She’amar”.
6. Iggeres Teiman L’HaRambam
Rabbi Nachum Maaravi (the copyist) called this famous essay “Pesach Tikvah, ” (literally “opening of hope.”) The famous letter penned by the Rambam to fortify the spiritual resolve and faith of Yemenite Jewry following a wave of false Messiahs that arose in Yemen and wreaked devastation and hopelessness among the masses appears at the beginning of the present manuscript and is marked in pencil as leaves 177a-179b.
The present manuscript predates the original printing of Iggeres Teiman which was first printed in Taalumos Chochmah (Hanau, 1629).
Prague, circa 1570-1579. Page Count: [69].
Page Size: 15×18 cm.
Condition: Good with water stains. Attractive new leather binding.
Provenance: Carlebach Family Collection, Hamburg-Lakewood
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