Beit David / Yekara DeShachvei / Tzemach David – Thessaloniki, 1740-1811 – Three Books by Rabbi Yosef David, Rabbi ...

Beit David / Yekara DeShachvei / Tzemach David – Thessaloniki, 1740-1811 – Three Books by Rabbi Yosef David, Rabbi of Thessaloniki – Signatures and Glosses

Three books by R. Yosef David, Rabbi of Thessaloniki, all printed in Thessaloniki in the 1700s, with handwritten glosses:

• Responsa Beit David, Part I, on Orach Chaim and Yoreh Deah, and Part II, Petach Beit David, on Even HaEzer and Choshen Mishpat, by R. Yosef David, Rabbi of Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki, [1740-1746]. Two volumes.

Signature on title page of first volume: "Purchased by me in 1769, Avraham Lev-Aryeh" – R. Avraham Lev-Aryeh (d. 1802) was a leading rabbi of Jerusalem in the 18th century, author of Heichal Melech (Thessaloniki 1814). Set out as an emissary to the East and later to Europe. In 1788 he met the Chida in Livorno. Several of his works remain in manuscript.

Additional signature on title page: "Moshe Carilio". Inscription in Ashkenazic script of "Chaim Wekshner, here in our holy city".

In second volume, additional ownership inscription: "Yitzchak son of R. Michael HaLevi", and signatures: "Yitzchak HaLevi".

Short glosses in both volumes, some trimmed in Oriental scripts.

• Yekara DeShachvei, eulogies for rabbis and others by R. Yosef David, Rabbi of Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki, [1774]. Only edition. Lacking last 9 leaves.

Stamps of R. "Yosef Rosen, residing here in Svislach". R. Yosef Rosen (1865-1954), a prominent and senior rabbi of the United States. Student of the Mir, Volozhin, Radin and Slabodka yeshivas of Lithuania. He served as Rabbi of Svislach (Grodno province; present-day Belarus). After World War I he immigrated to the United States, where he served as Chief Rabbi of Passaic, New Jersey from 1926. Stamps of R. "Yaakov David son of R. Moshe HaKohen – Staten Island".

Signature deleted with ink on title page. Additional signature: "Avraham Yosef son of R. Shlomo".

Two glosses (trimmed) – on pp. 185a, 195a.

• Tzemach David, sermons on the Torah. Part I on Bereshit-Vayikra, and Part II on Bamidbar-Devarim, Neviim and Ketuvim, by R. Yosef David, author of Beit David. Thessaloniki, [1811]. Only edition. With Mashmaut Dorshim and Klalei HaTalmud. Signature on title page: "Yaakov HaKohen Perachiah", and several glosses (trimmed). Additional signatures and stamps in both volumes.

3 books in 5 volumes. Size and condition varies, good-fair to fair. Stains, including dampstains and traces of former dampness. Worming in many places, tears and open tears, affecting text. Old bindings.