Bidspirit auction | Volume of Novellae and Homilies

Volume of Novellae and Homilies Handwritten by Rabbi Yosef Pinto of Marrakesh, Author of Lekach Tov, and His Son Rabbi Shlomo Pinto – Novellae on the Re'em and More – Marrakesh, 18th and 19th Centuries – Unpublished Works - Handwritten volume, novellae and homilies handwritten by R. Yosef son of R. Yaakov Pinto of Marrakesh, author of Lekach Tov, and his son R. Shlomo Pinto. [Marrakesh, 18th and 19th centuries]. The volume contains two manuscripts bound together, one handwritten by R. Yosef Pinto and the other handwritten by his son R. Shlomo Pinto, with several leaves written by others and signed by Marrakesh rabbis. · Leaves 1-139 – manuscript, novellae on R. Eliyahu Mizrachi's Torah commentary (the Re'em), on most of the Torah portions (up to Ki Tetze), handwritten by R. Shlomo son of Yosef Pinto of Marrakesh. Up to leaf 91 appears a neat copying of the work (on all of the Torah portions of Bereshit), after which the work continues (on the following Torah portions) in a hastier and less careful handwriting, apparently an earlier copying by the author (several leaves of overlapping text between Torah portions Vayishlach-Vayechi). At the end of each Torah portion, in the neat copying (apart from Vayechi), the writer signs his name ”Shlomo Pinto”. In many places he signs his full name (for instance p. 78a) or initials (for instance pp. 8a, 114a) at the ends of paragraphs. On p. 49b, he mentions his father R. Yosef Pinto at the end of a passage: ”This is what my father and master… R. Yosef Pinto interpreted”; as well as his grandfather, kabbalist R. Yaakov Pinto, Rabbi of Marrakesh, on p. 47b: ”But the kabbalist… R. Yaakov Pinto the great interpreted… This is what I, his disciple and grandson, found in his book”. Apart from this, he quotes insights of leading rabbis of Marrakesh, including his uncle R. Avraham Pinto (in various places in the manuscript), R. Shlomo Assebag (p. 9a), R. David Tzabach (ibid.), R. Musa son of David Ochayon (p. 15a) and others. He further copies sections from Karnei Re'em or Toafot Re'em by R. Yaakov Berdugo of Meknes (see: Malchei Rabanan, p. 22b; this work, which has evidently never been published, is also called Toldot Yaakov – in NLI Ms. Heb. 1448=28). On p. 121a: ”Copied from the book of… R. Moshe Abuzaglo”. On p. 9b, at the end of the chapter on Lech Lecha, after the signature, appears a lengthy gloss handwritten by R. Yaakov Bitan. The gloss begins: ”All this is not clear to me…” and concludes with his signature: ”This is what seems to be in my humble opinion on Tuesday, 11th Cheshvan, 1855, when I happened to have this book momentarily, signed Yaakov Bitan” – R. Shmuel Yaakov Bitan (d. 1872), a leading rabbi of Marrakesh in his times (for more about him see: R. Yosef Hillel, Matzevot Marrakesh, Jerusalem, 2016, p. 126). After this gloss is added a short gloss by another writer, signed ”David Ben Shlush” – R. David Shlush, also a rabbi of Marrakesh (see: Matzevot Marrakesh, p. 646). On first leaf of manuscript, many pen trials, including decorated signatures of R. Shlomo Pinto and a lengthy ownership inscription by him. This leaf also contains signatures of ”Chaim son of Shem Tov” as well as an inscription mentioning ”the holy rabbi, the divine teacher, the excellent rabbi… unique in his generation, one of a kind, the great eagle, our teacher and rabbi… R. Yosef Pinto…”. · Leaves 159-238 – Manuscript (on smaller leaves), most of which is an autograph of R. Yosef son of R. Yaakov Pinto of Marrakesh (father of the above R. Shlomo), containing various novellae and homilies, sometimes referencing the weekly Torah portion and others on different matters (as on p. 217b: ”On drought”), also including questions he was asked and other matters. On p. 218a: ”The matter of reincarnation…”. Sometimes he signed his name (as on p. 165a) or initials (pp. 198b, 228b and more) at the end of passages. On p. 184a is a section beginning: ”What seems in my humble opinion, Yosef Pinto…”. On p. 200a is an additional signed note by his son: ”… Shlomo Pinto”. On p. 177b, he mentions his brother – R. Avraham Pinto (son of R. Yaakov Pinto): ”In the name of my brother R. A[vraham] P[into]…”. At the beginning of the volume are two leaves which belonged to the manuscript (without the later pagination), also including inscriptions handwritten by R. Yosef Pinto on the births of his descendants. Included is an inscription on the birth of his son R. Shlomo: ”My son Shlomo was born to me in the month of Av… 1805”, as well as another son and daughter, Avraham and Mira, in 1808 and 1810, and on the birth of his grandsons Yitzchak, in 1804 and Yosef, in 1808. Between the leaves of the volume appear several leaves and inscriptions written by others: On p. 7a, signed inscriptions: ”Yosef son of Shlomo Pinto” (son of R. Shlomo, grandson of the first R. Yosef). On p. 35b: ”I am Shlomo son of Masud…”. Leaves 143-158 are written in several different hands, by unidentified writers.