Bidspirit auction | Sassoon Collection: A Magnificent Miniature

Sassoon Collection: A Magnificent Miniature Manuscript from the Cochin Community Preserving the Forgotten Custom of Hakafos at Minchah on Simchas Torah! * A beautiful manuscript containing the Minchah prayer and the concluding service of Simchas Torah, with more than twenty piyutim, according to the old custom of the holy Jewish community of Cochin in India. This manuscript preserves an old custom that has not survived in any other community in the world: a full order of hakafos with Sifrei Torah during Minchah! Unlike the morning hakafos, these consisted not of seven circuits but of three, here called “First Circuit, ” “Second Circuit, ” and “Third Circuit.” Minchah hakafos on Simchas Torah was once practiced in many communities, but is no longer observed today. (On this forgotten custom, see Yaari, pp. 280–281). Another custom unique to the Cochin community, preserved in the present manuscript, is the custom to conclude the hakafos with an expanded Kaddish Basra, containing special prayers and blessings in a unique textual variant (leaves 62a–72b). On leaf 75a there is a unique Mi Sheberach dedicated to righteous women: “May He who blessed our mothers Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah, and Miriam the prophetess, and Avigail, and Esther the queen, daughter of Avichayil, bless Mrs.…” A unique manuscript, offering a poignant glimpse into the pure love of Torah of an old, small, and remote community. The entire manuscript is written in colored ink, in colors of blue, red, and touches of turquoise. Pocket format: only 6.9 cm! Cochin, India, late 19th / early 20th century. Original page count : [1], 97 leaves + blank leaves. Total: [194] written pages. Condition : Good. Light restoration to the title page. Some stains and ink fading. Original binding with leather spine and corners, mixed with cloth. Cloth partially detached. Provenance : David Sassoon Collection (1880–1942) Signature on the title page: H. S. Sassoon. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– List of Piyutim According to the Custom of the Jews of Cochin Appearing in This Manuscript: Av LeChachamim Moshe (Yaari, Reshimat HaPiyutim no. 3); Simchu Ahuvim BeSimchas Toras Moshe (no. 706); Simchu Ahuvim BeSimchas Torah (no. 704); Simchu BeToras Moshe (no. 713); Avia Renani Lifnei Shochen Ma’oni (no. 5); Tirbeh Ahavah Tirbeh Brachah (no. 746); Yom BeKol Hamulah Neged Am Segulah (no. 425); Bnei Gedolei Nesuchah Meshanenei Halacha (no. 284); Ana Moshe Rechima (no. 190); Ori Shor BeAyin Sechel Be’Imras El Tzerufah (no. 68); Achu Pele Tamim De’ah (no. 87); Ahuvim BeSimchah Tetze’un (no. 47); Kol Mevaser Mashmia Hatu Ozen Lishmoa (no. 642); Adir Shochen Ma’alah (no. 36); Ye’aneh Mekorcha Bincha Bechorecha (no. 465); Kol Simchah VeKol Sasson (no. 643); Yonasi Ziv Yif’asech (no. 441, recorded there as the custom of Baghdad); Sha’arei Pedus Eftachah Mi Yin’alem; Echad Yachid U’Meyuchad El, Nidrash LeVar Levav Sho’el; HaEl A’irah VeRe’eh; Yonah Homah Mah Tehemi; Shulamis Shuvi (no. 684); Se'u She’arim Rosheichem (no. 660). Some of the piyutim found here are rare and are not recorded in Davidson’s comprehensive sefer Otzar HaShirah VeHaPiyut, and a number of them, it appears, are not even listed by Yaari himself.