Thirty Volumes By or Relating to Mordecai Samuel Ghirondi, [19th century]

Mordecai Samuel ben Benzion Aryeh Ghirondi (1799–1852) was born in Padua to a prominent Italian rabbinic family. He taught theology at the rabbinical college in Padua, where he had received his own training, and served as the city’s chief rabbi from 1831 until his death. Ghirondi's major work was Toledot Gedolei Yisrael, a biographical dictionary of Jewish scholars and rabbis with a focus on Italian rabbis of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Ghirondi was also an avid book collector and many of his manuscripts became part of the Montefiore Library's collection. The present thirty volumes offer a fascinating record of Ghirondi's scholarly activity.  

(Ms. 58): A notebook by Ghirondi containing diverse quotations and excerpts from the works of many authors. On fols. 1r, 2r Ghirondi writes that he makes entries in his notebook every day before dawn. On fol. 29r, Ghirondi has pasted in a note by an older Italian hand, and on fols. 66v-67r, he has recorded a prayer by Rabbi Calimani. For information about the author see Montefiore mss. 56-57.

(Ms. 160): Fols. 1r-16v: Hermeneutical rules of the Talmud, the result of his study of Jacob Algazi’s Kehillat Yaakov, written in 1845; Fols. 17r-28v: Copy of the beginning of Solomon ibn Verga’s historical work Shevet Yehudah, transcribed from the Adrianople [1554] edition.  

(Ms. 161-164): Kevuzat Kessef, copies made by Ghirondi of responsa sent by him to rabbis, mainly in Germany and Poland, or sent to him by the same. Each volume includes approbabtions, many of them original and signed by their authors, among them David Hayyim Diena, Joseph Isserles Ashkenazi an emissary from Safed, Abraham Reggio chief rabbi of Gorizia, Nathan Maraji an emissary from Safed, Joseph Zamiro of Jerusalem, Hayyim Samuel Kohen of Tiberias, Hayyim Pallache of Izmir, Joseph Motro of Hebron, Abraham Solomon Zalman of Jerusalem Ezekiel Eliezer Abulafia of Tiberias, Joseph from Raszkow of Jerusalem, Moses ben Simhon of Jerusalem and Zvi Hirsch ben Meir. Chajes of Zolkiew. Among the correspondents: Abraham Reggio, David ben Mazal Tov Zacut, Abraham Jonah of Venice, Abraham de Colonia, Isaiah Bassan, Elias Aaron Lattes, Joseph Motro, Zvi Hirsch ben Meir. Chajes, Menahem Mendel Mohr of Lemberg and Saul Kohen Katznelensohn of Vilna in Lemberg.

(Ms. 165-177): Dover Shalom, copies made by Ghirondi of his correspondence (over 2,000 letters) between scholars, rabbis and family, mainly in Italy. A major part of this correspondence was with Abraham Reggio (1755-1846), the rabbi of Gorizia. The earliest letter was written in 1818. Among the other correspondents in Italy were Abraham Lattes of Venice, David Samuel Pardo of Venice, Hananel Neppi, Israel Gedaliah Cases, Jacob Hai Recanati and David ben Mazal Tov Zacut. He also corresponded with scholars in Poland, among them Jacob Reifmann, Jacob Bodek and Zvi Hirsch ben Meir. Chajes and some of his letters were sent to the Holy Land or to emissaries from the Holy Land, among Ezekiel Eliezer Abulafia of Tiberias and Nathan Maraji. The first volume (no. 165) includes unpublished introductions by Ghirondi to books by Moses Hayyim Luzzatto: Tikkunim Hadashim and Ma’amar ha-Vikkuah [Pinchas: On the Reggio family, see David J. Malkiel, "The Reggios of Gorizia: Modernization in Micro," in The Mediterranean and the Jews II, Ramat Gan, 2002, pp. 67-84].

(Ms. 178): Zikhron Mordecai, responsa by Ghirondi and by his teacher Abraham Reggio. Ghirondi regarded this volume as a continuation of his Kevuzat Kessef (mss. 161-164). Some of the responsa from fol. 30 on were sent to Abraham Reggio for his approval and were intended to be added to Kevuzat Kessef., part three. On fols. 2r-6r, a pupil of his, Solomon Levi Mortara copied Ghirondi’s abridgment of Moses ben Maimon’s introduction to the Mishnah in the form of questions and answers for the benefit of his pupils.

(Ms. 179-182): Likutei Shoshanim, copies of the author’s responsa, responsa and letters by his contemporaries and copies from manuscripts and printed books. Mss. 180-181 are titled Likutei Shoshanim and the other volumes are supplements titled Ketoret ha-Samim (no. 179) and Aleh Shoshanah (no. 182). Some of the volumes, especially ms. 182, include fasciculi and quires from other authors of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, mostly without indication of author.

(Ms. 183): Rules for proceedings of divorce by an emissary. On fol. 32 there are autograph approbations from 1842 by Abraham Reggio and the emissaries from the Holy Land Moses ben Simhon and Samual Majar.

(Ms. 184): Rules for proceedings of divorce by an emissary held by Ghirondi in 1835 and in 1838 followed by proceedings of a halizah ceremony held in 1835.

(Ms. 185): Padua 1821, Laws of ritual slaughter (shehitah) by Ghirondi. Includes approbabtions by Menahem Azariah Castelnuovo dated 1821and David Hayyim Diena dated 1822. On fol. 35 there are esoteric homilies on shehitah by Solomon David Treves, a pupil of the kabbalist Moses Hayyim Luzzatto, copied from an apparently unpublished manuscript . On fol. 40v there is a prayer for ritual slaughterers by Moses Hayyim Luzzatto. The writing is not typical of Ghirondi’s and the manuscript was probably copied by a pupil from ms. 186 with a few additions. The rabbinical diplomas (haskamot) in ms. 185 are authentic.

(Ms. 186): Padua 1820, Laws of ritual slaughter (shehitah) by Ghirondi in his own writing. The haskamot in this manuscript are copies.

(Ms. 188): Copies of hasmakhot received by Ghirondi from nine different rabbis.

(Ms. 259): This slim volume contains excerpts from various works that were copied on behalf of Mordecai Samuel Ghirondi. Fols. 1r-6r: Sefer Mitzvot Zemnaiyyot le-Rabi Yisrael, a work by Israel Israeli of Toledo on the prayerbook. Copied from a Sefardi Mahzor manuscript, owned by Abraham Reggio of Gorizia. Fols. 8r-10r: azhara le-Rabi Yehudah ha-Levi, beginning: hikavtzu ve-shimeu. Fols. 13r-18v: Eulogy in Italian on Rabbi Abraham Reggio. Fols. 19v-30: Permutations of the word bereshit, various notes on passages in the Pentateuch, two short pieces, in Hebrew and Italian: be-yom Purim li-nearim (on Purim for youngsters), a note on gilgul (metampsychosis), the Book of Ben Sira in Hebrew translation by Ishmael Menahem Ferrarese (only excerpts). Fols. 31r-40r: Copy of the title-page and introduction of the printed edition of Ha-Shirim Asher li-Shlomo, by Solomon de Rossi, Venice 1623. Includes the responsum of Judah Aryeh de Modena and others on music. Fols. 42r-44v: List of sermons, their topics and dates, from 1798 until 1838, in Italian and Hebrew.

Sotheby’s is grateful to Menahem Schmelzer z”l and Benjamin Richler for cataloguing these manuscripts.

Provenance

Solomon Halberstam, Montefiore ms. 58 (shelf no. 299); ms. 160 (shelf no. 297); ms. 161 (shelf no. 271); ms. 162 (shelf no. 273); ms. 163 (shelf no. 272); ms. 164 (shelf no. 274); ms. 165 (shelf no. 275); ms. 166 (shelf no. 276); ms. 167 (shelf no. 277); ms. 168 (shelf no. 278); ms. 169 (shelf no. 279); ms. 170 (shelf no. 280); ms. 171 (shelf no. 281); ms. 172 (shelf no. 282); ms. 173 (shelf no. 283); ms. 174 (shelf no. 284); ms. 175 (shelf no. 285); ms. 176 (shelf no. 286); ms. 177 (shelf no. 412); ms. 178 (shelf no. 287); ms. 179 (shelf no. 289); ms. 180 (shelf no. 292); ms. 181 (shelf no. 293); ms. 182 (shelf no. 294); ms. 183 (shelf no. 295); ms. 184 (shelf no. 296); ms. 185 (shelf no. 269); ms. 186 (shelf no. 300); ms. 188 (shelf no. 298); ms. 259 (shelf no. 263).

Physical Description

30 volumes, written in various scripts in black and brown inks on paper of various sizes, many leaves pasted together (as cancels), numerous mounted overslips. Various bindings (smallest being 5 ¾ x 4 inches; 147 x 102 mm, largest being 11 1/8 x 7 5/8 inches; 282 x 194 mm); bindings generally worn and defective.

1. (Ms. 58): 96 leaves (30 blank), 5 ½ x 4 inches; 140 x 103 mm, written in black ink in various Italian scripts, modern foliation in pencil. Contemporary paste-paper, wallet-style binding; early tape repairs.

2. (Ms. 160): 102 leaves foliated 1-13, 17-28 (27 text leaves, 75 blanks); very bright and fresh. Marbled paper over flexible boards, initials MG at foot of spine .

3. (Ms. 161): 132 leaves; fol. 1 mounted on guard, fol. 44 margins cut round, fol. 131 detached, fol. 132 mounted to lower pastedown, some worming costing a few words. Gilt-stamped orange paper boards, initials MG at foot of spine.

4. (Ms. 162): 159 leaves, catchwords, original foliation in ink, modern foliation in pencil; errors in foliation, first 2 leaves remargined and inserted as folding leaves, fol. 1 detached. Marbled boards, calf spine, initials MG at foot of spine.; slightly rubbed. 

5. (Ms. 163): 165 leaves (8 blank), apaper stock of varying sizes, numerous overslips, modern foliation in pencil. Blue paper stamped in gilt over boards, initials MG at foot of spine; extremities worn.

6. (Ms. 164): 235 leaves (6 blank), foliated 1-233, engraved title mounted on fol. 1, several leaves with overslips, bifolium mounted on front pastedown, one leaf mounted on lower pastedown; fol. 2 mounted, a few leaves guarded. Half calf over marbled boards, initials MG at foot of spine; somewhat rubbed.

7. (Ms. 165): 95 leaves, including half-pages and overslips, foliated 1-90, catchwords; fol. 2 lacking, catchwords occasionally shaved. Marbled boards, calf spine.

8. (Ms. 166): 197 leaves (3 blank); condition generally good. Uniformly bound with Ms. 165.

9. (Ms. 167): 125 leaves; condition generally good. Half calf; very worn.

10. (Ms. 168): 197 leaves (3 blank). Half calf over marbled boards; binding shaken, spine torn and defective.  

11. (Ms. 169): 118 leaves; one word or name excised from fol. 1, fol. 76 loose. Half calf over marbled boards, initials MG at foot of spine; extremely worn; spine sprung from casing, upper board detached.

12. (Ms. 170): 200 leaves (3 blank), modern foliation 1-197, 3 additional leaves loosely inserted; fols. 2 and 54 loose, fols. 190-192 spotted. Half calf over marbled boards, initials MG at foot of spine; extremely worn, spine torn.

13. (Ms. 171): 56 (?of 57) leaves; fol. 57 torn away, several leaves pasted together with sealing wax, some worming in top margin costing a few words. Tree calf marbled paper over flexible boards; some wear to spine.

14. (Ms. 172): 73 leaves (7 blank, error in foliation after fol. 50), 27 leaves with overslips; fols. 45-46 loose. Flexible marbled paper boards; worn.

15. (Ms. 173): 34 leaves. Black paper wrappers.

16. (Ms. 174): 29 leaves; text shaken, most of fol. 12 cut away and replaced by 2 overslips, worming in bottom margin costing a few words. Paper wrappers; backstrip split.

17. (Ms. 175): 44 leaves; fol. 8 loose, marginal worming occasionally costing a few words. Cream paper wrappers; soiled.

18. (Ms. 176): 46 leaves foliated 1-50; fol. 1 detached, marginal worming costing a few words. Flexible marbled paper boards.

19. (Ms. 177): 55 leaves (11 blank), foliated 1-48, fore-edges cut for index tabs; title-page repaired. Brown paper wrappers.

20. (Ms. 178): 69 leaves (one blank). Flexible marbled paper boards, initials MG at foot of spine in manuscript; spine worn.

21. (Ms. 179): 108 leaves (8 blank) foliated 1-100, 2 manuscript leaves mounted on pastedowns; some dampstaining. Gilt stamped paper boards, initials MG at foot of spine; extremities slightly faded.

22. (Ms. 180): 196 leaves; title-page within ruled frame; fols. 3, 42-43 detached. Half roan over marbled boards, initials MG at foot of spine; somewhat worn.

23. (Ms. 181): 217 leaves comprising 72 leaves (2 adhered to pastedowns) and pamphlet of 20 leaves mounted to lower pastedown, 125 blanks, genealogical tree of Ghirondi on fol. 1, ink sketch of temple pasted to fol. 67v. Marbled boards, roan spine, initials MG at foot of spine; rather rubbed.

24. (Ms. 182): 94 leaves (69 text, with one mounted to lower pastedown, 25 blank). Flexible sprinkled blue boards, initials MG at foot of spine in manuscript.

25. (Ms. 183): 55 leaves (9 blank), foliated 1-47 in modern pencil, one bifolium divorce document in Italian, signed by Rabbi A. Reggio, 24 May 1837, loosely inserted. Marbled wrappers, orange roan spine.

26. (Ms. 184): 54 leaves (4 blank) foliated 1-53. Flexible green paper boards.

27. (Ms. 185): 40 leaves (2 blank), printed ornamental frame pasted to title-page; a few leaves loose, minor marginal worming. Green pastepaper boards, calf spine, initials MG at foot of spine.

28. (Ms. 186): 31 leaves (final blank) foliated 1-30. Flexible green pastepaper boards, initials MG at foot of spine.

29. (Ms. 188): 65 leaves (34 text leaves foliated 1-34, 31 blank). Mottled pastepaper boards, initials MG at foot of spine.

30. (Ms. 259): 44 leaves (3 blank), various dimensions, largest being 8 x 5 ¾ inches; 203 x 146 mm, written in Hebrew and Italian; title-page cropped, first quire loose. Tree calf marbled paper wrappers, orange paper spine; some wear to spine.