Post-Auction Report: Sale 94, June 17, 2021
Kestenbaum & Company was privileged to again offer an auction comprising of premier Hebrew printed books. As it comprised of an especially remarkable single-owner collection of Hebrew printed books, this sale garnered high levels of interest and activity from hundreds of participants and spectators.
Interest was spread across all categories of the literary categories on offer.
In Biblical works, the beloved First Edition commentary to the Pentateuch, Kli Yakar, brought in $6,000 (Lot 140), beating its initial estimate of $3,000-4,000. A Zhitomir edition of Psalms garnered $7,500 (Lot 460) and the Vilna Gaon’s commentary to Mishlei fetched $7,500 (Lot 119). Midrashic works fared just as well, with a First Edition Mechilta realizing $12,000 (Lot 349) and a Second Edition Sifra- Torath Kohanim accomplishing $5,500 against an estimate of $1,000-$1,500 (Lot 353).
Medieval Pietistic compositions proved exceedingly popular in this sale. The First Edition of Rabbeinu Yonah’s Sha’arei Teshuvah was hammered in at $40,000 (Lot 168) while the First Edition of Sepher HaChassidim achieved $16,000, against its estimate of $4,000-6,000 (Lot 226). The First Edition of Orchoth Tzaddikim sold for $6,500 (Lot 386) and two copies of Chovoth HaLevavoth both sold for more than twice their estimates (Lot 42 and Lot 43) testifying to the notable interest in this field.
Liturgical works also fared well. An immaculate Basle prayerbook dating to 1579 brought in $50,000 (Lot 261) and a miniature set of Festival Prayers printed in Jerusalem fetched $11,000 (Lot 306). Perhaps the most impressive lot in the sale, the First Edition incunable of Abudarham, printed in Lisbon, 1489, was hammered in at $90,000 (Lot 7). Finally, a Selichoth printed at Slavita garnered $9,500- nine times more than its original estimate of $1,000-1,500 (Lot 301).
Competitive bidding was also seen for classic Halakhic texts. The Bomberg Edition of Alfasi’s Rif- Sepher Halachoth sold for $34,000 (Lot 14) while Maimonides’ Mishnah Torah, printed with Joseph Karo’s Keseph Mishnah for the first time, achieved $15,000 (Lot 373). The First Editions of Israel Isserlein’s Terumath Hadeshen and Pesakim U’Kethavim brought in $5,500 (Lot 213). The First Edition of Solomon Luria’s Yam Shel Shlomo to Bava Kama garnered $3,400 (Lot 328) and Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller’s Ma’adnei Yom-Tov fetched $3,600 (Lot 194).
In Kabbalah, the First Edition of the Zohar accomplished $20,000- five times its initial estimate (Lot 414). Likewise, the First Edition of Moses Cordovero’s Tomer Devorah realized $12,000 (Lot 101) and the esoteric Megaleh Amukoth was hammered in at $9,500 (Lot 425).
More broadly focused works of Jewish Philosophy saw the First Edition of Shnei Luchot Haberith achieve $10,000 (Lot 195). The entirety of the Maharal of Prague’s First Edition works were snatched up (Lots 317-324), while RaMBaN’s Torat Ha’Adam brought in $13,000 (Lot 374). Both major historiographical texts in this sale were also accounted for- Moses Zacuto’s Sepher Yuchasin was sold for $32,000 (Lot 474) and Joseph Cohen’s Divrei Hayamim garnered $20,000 (Lot 475).
We look forward to our next sale of Fine Judaica, which will take place in late July 2021. For further information, or any other queries, please contact us at 212-366-1197 or Info@Kestenbaum.net.
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LOT 90:
(CHASSIDISM).
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Start price:
$
35,000
Estimated price :
$40,000 - $50,000
Buyer's Premium: 25%
sales tax: 8.875% On lot's price, no sales tax on commission
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(CHASSIDISM).
<<ELIMELECH OF LIZHENSK>>. No’am Elimelech [homilies to the Chumash]. With “Likutei Shoshanah” and “Igereth HaKodesh”
Second complete edition. A wide-margined copy.
ff. 150 (i.e. 149). Stained in places, opening few leaves repaired at margins, margin of final leaf trimmed. Modern blind-tooled calf. Lg. 4to. Vinograd, Slavuta 14.
Slavuta: (Moshe Shapiro) 1794
Complete Early Edition of Chassidic Classic: The No'am Elimelech. First printed in Lemberg in 1788, this classic text of Polish Chassidism went through several editions within a. relatively short span of time. Published by the author's nephew, R. Yisrael Avraham, the son of R. Meshulam Zushye of Annapoli, the book. bears the latter's Haskomah. Indeed, according to Chassidic tradition, it was R. Zushye who first introduced his brother R. Elimelech to R. Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mehzritch and successor to the Baal Shem Tov. Of importance are the two letters appended to the work (ff. 146v.-150v) that respond to anti-Chassidic polemics. The first, penned by R. Elazar at the behest of his father R. Elimelech of Lizhensk, discusses controversy surrounding the Rabbi of Zhelichov (i.e. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev); the second by R. Zechariah Mendel (nephew of R. Shmelke of Nikolsburg) is a letter in defense of ascetic practices. R. Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717-87) founded the Polish school of Chassidism. His disciples included R. Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apta, R. Ya’akov Yitzchak Horowitz - the Chozeh of Lublin, R. Yisrael of Kozhnitz and R. Mendel of Rymanov. It was R. Elimelech who founded the doctrine of Tzadikism: Raising the Chassidic master to a place of centrality in Jewish life. See Y. Alfasi, Ha-Chassiduth (1977) p. 25; Entziklopedia LaChassiduth, Vol. I, col. 282; Tz. M. Rabinowicz, The Encyclopedia of Hasidim (1996) pp. 111, 563.
