Auction 120 Special
Mar 3, 2020 (your local time)
Israel
 3 Shatner Center 1st Floor Givat Shaul Jerusalem
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LOT 8:

The "Gur Aryeh" on Shulchan Aruch, by Rabbi Aryeh HaLevi of Mantua. Signed Autograph, 17th Century

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The "Gur Aryeh" on Shulchan Aruch, by Rabbi Aryeh HaLevi of Mantua. Signed Autograph, 17th Century
" I heard that he [the Rama" z] had a maggid, and the rabbi, 'Gur Aryeh, ' who composed glosses on the Shulchan Aruch which were printed in Mantua around the text of the Shulchan Aruch, attested that he heard the angel speaking in him." (The Chid" a).
Hundreds of handwritten glosses and comments - the gaon Rabbi Gur Aryeh of Mantua's magnum opus on Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer, in the author's very own hand.
Rabbi Gur Aryeh wrote his composition around the text of Nachalat Tzvi, on the sheets of the copy before us ( Nachalat Tzvi, Venice, 1661). Written evidence of this can be found in another copy of Nachalat Tzvi, found in Machon Ben Tzvi, with Rabbi Gur Aryeh's glosses copied by Rabbi Yitzchak Lampronti, author of Pachad Yitzchak, on top of which he wrote: " These glosses which I copied from another book like this one, are Rabbi Gur Aryeh HaLevi's, here in Mantua." (Refer to: Yeshurun, Volume 19, pp. 861.)
Rabbi Gur Aryeh also signs on the manuscript before us several times under his glosses (see, for example, pages 48b and 49b, where he signs in initials " הגא" ל" - the youth, Gur Aryeh Levi; and on page 40b, between the lines: " See my ruling - Gal" i" ).
Provenance of the manuscript: Manuscript collection at the Admo" r Rabbi Menachem Nachum Dov of Sadigura's library - one of the largest and rarest private libraries of its time. Rabbi Nachum Ber'nyu, who was known as a book and manuscript aficionado, acquired rare and uncommon books and manuscripts, in addition to what he inherited from his predecessors. In this way, he set up Sadigura's large private libraries. Due to the importance of this manuscript, Rabbi Nachum Ber'nyu signed his name in his own handwriting: " This book belongs to Nachum Dov Ber Friedman." This is alongside the usual stamps with which he would stamp his books: 'HaAryeh, ' with his name in Hebrew and in a foreign language; the 'Kinyan Kaspi' stamp; and with the red sticker marked 'Library of Rabbi Nachum Dov Friedman of Sadigura.' (For more extensive coverage of the rabbi's library, refer to Kovetz Mevinei Amudi - in the article by Rabbi Zusha Dinkles: 'Comprehensive Historic Coverage of Rabbi Nachum Ber'nyu ztzuk" l's Library').
The gaon and kabbalist Rabbi Gur Aryeh HaLevi Finzi [d. 1697, Otzar HaRabbanim 4370] was one of the well-known rabbis of Mantua in the 17th century, and one of the leading Italian sages of his generation. He corresponded with the sages of his generation and dozens of responsa to and from him are printed in their books: Shu" t Divrei Shmuel (simanim: 97, 106-123, 132-133, 141-144, 153-155, 161-169, 172-174, 210-211, 217-220); Shu" t HaRama" z (Yoreh Deah siman 2; Even HaEzer siman 1); Shu" t HaRaba" ch; Pachad Yitzchak and others. He also left his mark on Kabbalistic wisdom; he left behind prayers, secrets and intentions, in manuscript. His greatness in the hidden Torah can be gleaned from what the Chid" a wrote about him in his book  Shem HaGedolim (Gedolim, 40, in the entry on Rabbi Moshe Zacut - the Rama" z): " I heard that he [the Rama" z] had a maggid, and Rabbi Gur Aryeh, who wrote glosses on the Shulchan Aruch which were printed in Mantua around the text of the Shulchan Aruch, attested that he heard the angel speaking in him." The Chid" a mentions him again in his book, in a special entry dedicated to him (Gedolim, 3): " Gur Aryeh. Glosses on the entire Shulchan Aruch printed in Mantua around the text of the Shulchan Aruch. They are by Rabbi Gur Aryeh HaLevi, one of the rabbis of Mantua in the Rama" z's time." The manuscript before us was printed posthumously, by his disciple Rabbi Avraham Yedidyah of Basel, and by his nephew, Rabbi Gur Aryeh son of Rabbi Binyamin HaLevi Finzi, around the text of the Shulchan Aruch (Mantua, 1722-1723).
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a biography of the Admo" r Rabbi Menachem Nachum Dov of Sadigura.
Specifications: Nachalat Tzvi by Rabbi Tzvi HaKohen Katz. Venice, 1661. Only edition. [2], 134 leaves, 28 cm. Fully complete, with the leaves of approbations at the beginning, and the table of errata at the end.
Manuscript: There are hundreds and thousands of lines of glosses and novellae in the book's margins, from siman 1 through siman 115. (Apparently from there on Rabbi Gur Aryeh wrote his glosses as a book in their own right). Italian script. The handwriting before us was compared and found identical to other handwriting by Rabbi Gur Aryeh HaLevi. A comparison has not been made between the manuscript and the printed book to see if it was indeed all printed.
Fine condition. Aging stains. Minimal restored worming perforations. Light restoration to the margins of the title page without damage to text. Old binding, preserved and elegant. Isolated cropped glosses.

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