Rare Hebrew Books,
Including Six Incunabula
From the Collection of the late
Dr. Michael D. Paul of
St. John’s, Newfoundland.
* With a Fine Isidor Kaufmann Portrait Painting.
Montreal born Dr. Michael David Paul (1954-2024) was a respected professor of medicine specializing in nephrology who devoted himself to the citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador for more than forty years.
Alongside his teaching and medical practice, Dr. Paul served as the long-time President of the small Jewish community of St. John’s. His many interests included travel, philanthropy, but especially book-collecting - alongside related study and research.
Of all the many clients I have been privileged to know in my forty year book career, Dr. Paul was among the most learned and certainly the most interesting.
May his soul receive its eternal reward and may his memory forever be blessed.
DEK
Spring, 2025.
* Most of the books offered here from Dr. Paul’s library, contain his small embossed stamp, generally affixed to the title-page.
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LOT 30:
(BIBLE,
more...
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Sold for: $4,400
Price including buyer’s premium:
$
5,500
Start price:
$
2,000
Estimate :
$4,000 - $6,000
Buyer's Premium: 25%
sales tax: 8.875%
On the lot's price and buyer's premium
Users from foreign countries may be exempted from tax payments, according to the relevant tax regulations
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(BIBLE, Psalms).
Sepher Tehilim. With commentaries by R. David Kimchi (RaDa’K) and R. Yoseph Chayun (ReYa’CH).
FIRST EDITION of Chayun’s commentary.
Letter “Aleph” on f. 180r. (beginning Psalm 119) historiated.
Text mispaginated but complete - only lacking title. Opening few leaves frayed with some loss, dampstained. Later calf-backed boards, broken. Folio.
Vinograd, Salonika 30; Mehlman 69 (according to Yudlov, the Mehlman copy also lacks
ff. 1-2).
Salonika, Don Judah Gedaliah, 1522.
R. Joseph ben Abraham Hayun (d. 1497) was the last Chief Rabbi of Lisbon before the Expulsion from Portugal in 1497. From Lisbon, Chayun went to Contantinople, dying shortly thereafter. The commentary on Psalms is Chayun’s first published work and was followed by a commentary on Ethics of the Fathers: Milei De’Avoth (Constantinople, 1578). Abrabanel consulted with Chayon on halachic matters and his most famous disciple was R. Yoseph Ya’abetz (’HeChasid Ya’abetz.’).
The printer, Judah Gedaliah was foreman at Eliezer Toledano’s press in Lisbon. Following the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal he settled in Salonika and became the town’s proto-typographer in 1515.
See Yaari, HaDefus Ha’Ivri BeKushta (1967) p. 128, no. 195; and EJ, Vol. VII, col. 1514.
