Bidspirit auction | Group of Rare Midrashim and

Group of Rare Midrashim and Aggados – Exceptionally Important Sifrei Yesod – Incomplete and Damaged Copies Constantinople, Salonika, and Venice, 1512–1546 * A collection of seven of the most foundational Midrashic and Aggadic works of Chazal, most of them extremely rare first editions. The copies are incomplete and damaged, and have therefore been grouped as a single lot. Most of the works in this collection, when complete and in good condition, are worth a fortune and are exceptionally difficult to obtain because of their great importance and rarity. A truly unique opportunity. To illustrate the significance of these works, it is worth noting that the Stefansky Sifrei Yesod catalog lists only twelve titles under the category of Midrashei Aggadah — and no fewer than five of them are included in the present collection! The collection includes: A. Midrash Rabbah on the Five Chumashim, Constantinople, 1512. A sefer yesod. First edition. Incomplete copy, containing [195] leaves out of [230] in the original. B. Midrash Tehillim (Midrash Shocher Tov), Constantinople, 1512. A sefer yesod. First edition. Incomplete copy, containing [48] leaves out of [52] in the original, including the final leaf. C. Ein Yaakov, two parts, Salonika, 1516–1522. A sefer yesod. First edition. Incomplete copy, containing approximately [301] leaves out of approximately [437] in the original. D. Rabbeinu Bachya on the Torah, Pesaro, 1514. A sefer yesod. Incomplete copy, containing [262] leaves out of [274] in the original, including the final leaf. E. Midrash Shmuel, Constantinople, 1517. A sefer yesod. First edition. Incomplete copy, containing [12] leaves out of [16] in the original. F. Yalkut Shimoni, two parts, Salonika, 1521–1527. A foundational sefer. First edition. Incomplete copy, containing approximately [618] leaves out of approximately [747] in the original, including the final leaf of Part I. G. Pesikta Zutrata (Midrash Lekach Tov), Venice, 1546. A sefer yesod. First edition. Complete copy, but damaged. See below for a detailed description of each volume and its condition. Constantinople, Salonika, and Venice, 1512–1546. Seven titles in total, six of them first editions. Various sizes and conditions.   Please review the detailed description and photographs before placing a bid. Additional photographs are available upon request from our office. Please note: As is typical of early Hebrew printing, most of these sefarim do not have a regular printed page count, making an exact continuous leaf count difficult. Minor discrepancies in the total leaf count are therefore possible. If you are interested in purchasing this lot to obtain one or more specific missing leaves, please get in touch with our office beforehand to verify that the leaf number listed here corresponds to the one you require. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Detailed Description: A. Midrash Rabbah on the Five Chumashim – The Most Fundamental Midrash on the Torah – First Edition The exceptionally rare first edition of the famous Midrash known as ‘Midrash Rabbah.’ Virtually every darshan and commentator throughout the generations cites Midrash Rabbah. Numerous commentaries have been written on it, including the monumental commentary Yefeh Toar by Rabbi Shmuel Yaffe Ashkenazi of Constantinople. This first edition served as the basis for the vast majority of subsequent editions. Page Count: Bereishis Rabbah: Leaves [8–59, 62–68]. Missing [9] leaves: [1–7, 60–61]. Originally [68] leaves. Shemos Rabbah: Leaves [1–15, 20–44]. Missing [4] leaves: [16–19]. Originally [44] leaves. Vayikrah Rabbah: [34] leaves. Bamidbar Rabbah: Leaves [1–23, 26–39, 45, 48–55, 58–59, 61–64, 66–68]. Missing [13] leaves: [24–25, 40–44, 46–47, 56–57, 60, 65]. Originally [68] leaves (see Y. Haker’s note in Areshet V). Devarim Rabbah: Leaves [1–7, 14]. Missing [8] leaves: [8–13, 15–16]. Originally [16] leaves. Altogether, the present copy contains [195] leaves out of the original [230]. Height: Approximately 29.5 cm. Condition: Fair. Noticeable wear to the margins. Many leaves detached, with repairs. Stains. Bibliography: Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod, no. 127. Yaari, HaDefus HaIvri BeKushta, no. 19. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - B. Midrash Tehillim (Midrash Shocher Tov) – Sefer Yesod – First Edition An early Midrash of Chazal on Sefer Tehillim, covering chapters 1–118. The work is referred to by the Rishonim as ‘Midrash Shocher Tov, ’ after its opening verse, “Shocher tov yevakesh ratzon.” An exceptionally rare work. The great scholar of Midrashic literature, Rabbi Shlomo Buber, wrote in the introduction to his edition of Midrash Tehillim that the sefer is “exceedingly rare.” The present copy includes the final leaf, bearing the colophon: “The work was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Adar, in the year 1512, here in the great city of Constantinople,