Bidspirit auction | Sefer of Blessings, with Pesach

Sefer of Blessings, with Pesach Haggadah – 15 Fine Illustrations – Amsterdam, 1768 * Sefer HaMinhagim – an order of blessings for the entire year, including a Pesach Haggadah. Some of the instructions are printed in Spanish. Throughout the sefer there are fifteen charming Amsterdam woodcut illustrations, beautifully executed and reflecting Jewish life throughout the yearly cycle. Among the scenes depicted are a Jewish woman lighting Shabbos candles, Purim costumes, the baking of matzos, a haircut following Lag BaOmer (!), the blowing of the shofar, and other scenes associated with the Jewish calendar. Exceptionally rare. Such books of customs were used constantly in daily life and consequently became heavily worn, accounting for their great rarity today. The volume includes blessings and ceremonies arranged according to the cycle of the year: Havdalah, Shabbos candles, Kiddush, Birkas HaMazon, Birkas Levanah, Eruvei Chatzeiros, the Pesach Haggadah, Sefiras HaOmer, Kiddush for Shavuos, Leil Tishah B’Av, Kiddush for Rosh Hashanah, blessings for the shofar, sukkah, lulav, Chanukah, Purim, bris milah, pidyon haben, erusin, sheva brachos and marriage, Birkos HaNehenin, Birkas HaGomel, the confession of a deathly ill person, Tzidduk HaDin, and Krias Shema.   The final page contains a list of the ta’amim (cantillation marks) according to the Sephardic custom.   Amsterdam, 1768 Page Count: 52 leaves. Size: 15.6 cm. Condition: Fair to good. Noticeable signs of use, wear, tears, and stains. Antique binding (worn). The final page features the publisher’s emblem – the wealthy bookseller Shlomo Levi Maduro. The emblem depicts a Levi pouring water from a vessel into a basin, symbolizing the role of a Levi who washes the hands of the Kohanim before their blessing. See Diglei Hamadpisim Haivri’im , no. 142.