Bidspirit auction | Siddur for Fast Days and

Siddur for Fast Days and Special Shabbos Days Extinct Nusach of the Carpentras French Community Amsterdam, 1762 * ”Behold, this is a new matter that has never existed before.” An order of prayers for the Four Fasts and the Four Parshiyos according to the custom of the holy community of Carpentras — an ancient Jewish community in southern France (Provence). This small community possessed unique customs and piyutim exclusive to it, as well as a special Yom Tov on the 9th of Nissan commemorating the miracle of the community’s salvation in 1682 — all printed here for the first time. The siddur includes the prayer order for the five fasts: The 17th of Tammuz, the 9th of Av (with wax drippings), Tzom Gedaliah, the 10th of Teves, and Ta’anis Esther. In addition, the siddur contains the order of the Four Parshiyos and in addition: Shacharis and Mussaf for Shabbos and Festivals; additions for Shabbos Chanukah; Parshas Shekalim and Zachor; Purim; Parshas Parah and HaChodesh; order of prayers for the community’s special Yom Tov; and additional prayers. Already at the time of printing, this nusach was nearly lost (as the publisher himself testifies), and in the years following its printing, it disappeared entirely. Today, no communities are known to pray according to this nusach. Thus, we have before us a precious remnant of the custom of this holy and ancient community. Naturally, the sefer was printed in an especially small number of copies, solely for the members of the community — the only ones in the world who prayed according to this nusach! The publisher, Rabbi Avraham Montil, a member of the community, toiled for many decades printing the various parts of the siddur for the entire year and its festivals, and even nearly faced imprisonment due to the heavy financial obligations he undertook for this printing. This siddur concludes the series of other siddurim printed by the publisher (which included prayers for other festivals), and his concluding remarks are printed at the end of the siddur. Amsterdam, 1762. Page Count: [2], 3, 5–151, [1] leaves. Condition: Fair–good, holes, primarily in the margins. Stains. Antique leather binding, integrated with a new spine and corners. Provenance: William Gross Collection, Tel Aviv. It is interesting to note that, although there are five fasts, the siddur is arranged differently, and even the title of the siddur reflects this. Ta’anis Esther differs from the other fasts in that it does not commemorate mourning over a tragic event, and therefore, within the community, it was not classified as a regular fast but rather included among the “Four Parshiyos” preceding Pesach (to which it belongs according to the calendar). Thus, the siddur is entitled: ”Order for the Four Fasts and the Four Parshiyos.”