Manuscript by Rabbi Yitzchak HaLevi of Lemgo, and a Manuscript by his Disciple Rabbi Avraham Prins – Amsterdam ...

Manuscript by Rabbi Yitzchak HaLevi of Lemgo, and a Manuscript by his Disciple Rabbi Avraham Prins – Amsterdam, 18th Century – Novellae, Sermons, Letters, Notes and Memoirs – Important Historical Material Regarding the Ashkenazi Community of Amsterdam
Volume comprised of three manuscripts: · Manuscript of novellae and sermons, autograph of R. Yitzchak HaLevi of Lemgo, author of Toldot Yitzchak. · Manuscript of novellae, sermons and circumcision ledger handwritten by his disciple R. Avraham Prins of Amsterdam. · Copyings of letters and documents from that period, including letters addressed to the Pekidim and Amarkalim (officials and administrators in Amsterdam), and more.
The manuscripts were presumably bound in the beginning of the 1830s. The binding is imprinted with gilt letters: "Zera Yitzchak – Toldot Avraham". The volume contains invaluable Torah and historical material from Torah scholars and public leaders of Amsterdam in the 18th century. Below is an outline of its contents:
· Chiddushei Shas VeChiddushei Sugiot (Talmudic novella). Sermons on Halacha and Aggada: for Siyumim, in praise of the Torah and in praise of peace, for festivals and eulogies. Handwritten by R. Yitzchak Itzak HaLevi of Lemgo, a prominent Amsterdam Torah scholar and rabbi of Groningen. Amsterdam [ca. 1790]. Page 82b mentions "Admor HaGaon" (this may refer to R. Shaul Rabbi of Amsterdam, or to his son and successor R. Yaakov Moshe Lowenstam).
[1], 88 leaves, [1 index leaf]. Autograph of R. Yitzchak of Lemgo.
· Torah novellae and sermons. Familial and communal memoirs. Registry of circumcised babies (Mohel's ledger). Memoirs and copies of documents and letters regarding Eretz Israel. Writings about his teacher, R. Yitzchak of Lemgo. Testaments and eulogies. Handwritten by R. Avraham Prins of Amsterdam (1768-1851), a leading community activist and founder of the Pekidim and Amarkalim organization (officials and administrators in Amsterdam on behalf of the Jews in Eretz Israel), official and chief supervisor of all matters concerning Eretz Israel. [1810-1849].
147 written pages, in the handwriting of R. Avraham Prins. (Some of the signatures following the copyings may be autographic – original, not written by the copier).
R. Yitzchak Itzak (Segal) HaLevi of Lemgo (1748-1801) a prominent scholar of the Etz Chaim study hall of the Ashkenazi community in Amsterdam, was a disciple of R. Shaul of Amsterdam, and a close friend of his son R. Yaakov Moshe. He was amongst the prominent regular "learners" in the Beit HaMidrash and served as lecturer and dean of the yeshiva. In 1800, he was appointed rabbi of Groningen and its district.
His manuscripts underwent many vicissitudes, and numerous books and articles have been written on the subject. His great composition Toldot Yitzchak, commentary on the Tosefta, of which his disciple R. Avraham Prins (who succeeded him as head of the yeshivah) added a sample to Likutei Tzvi, Amsterdam 1809, disappeared and was only revealed to the public at auctions, first appearing in 1870 at the Friedrich Muller auction house in Amsterdam (Item 944) in three folio size volumes containing approximately 1600 leaves. In 1881, the same manuscript was offered as part of the estate of Levi Gutshlag Winifred of the Hague at the H.G. Baum auction house (Item 156). In ca. 1900, this manuscript reached the Rosenthaliana library in Amsterdam. In 1965, Joseph Onderwyser published a book in English named Mavoch (labyrinth) in which he describes in a very picturesque (and odd) manner his worldwide quest for the manuscript of the colossal work on the Tosefta, discovering it in an internal list of the Rosenthaliana library in Amsterdam. This book then raised a polemic in the press and in journals and eventually, a team of editors began publishing the commentary. So far, one volume has been published on Tractate Megillah, Jerusalem, 2002, by Machon Ofek. The volume is prefaced with a long article - the author's biography, and an account of
his tenure in the Amsterdam Beit Midrash.
This manuscript sheds light on the early history of R. Yitzchak of Lemgo's manuscript composition on the Tosefta: On p. 76 of his notebook, R. Avraham Prins documents the purchase of the manuscript at the sale of the estate of R. Yitzchak ben Mordechai of Lemgo, R. Yitzchak's nephew. He relates that it was he who bound it in three volumes "and in each volume I imprinted his name in gilt letters". He bemoans the fact that he lacks the means to publish the book. On p. 86, written at a later date, R. Avraham repeats the fact that since he realized that he was unable to publish the book, he bound it in three volumes so that his teacher's family members could study it (apparently, he returned the three volumes to the descendants of R. Yitzchak of Lemgo).
This booklet, handwritten by R. Yitzchak of Lemgo, is hitherto unknown and a discovery in its own right. R. Avraham Prins writes about it on p. 86 and about more letters "bound with this volume". Evidently, this volume was not offered at the same auctions in the 19th century at which the other three volumes by R. Yitzchak of Lemgo were sold. In addition, R. Avraham Prins' diary of memoirs and sermons discloses new details of the biography of his close teacher R. Yitzchak of Lemgo who taught him Torah and raised him in his home like his own son after he was orphaned.
The diary of the memoirs of R. Avraham Prins is of great significance, as it also reveals unknown details of the history of the Ashkenazi community in Amsterdam in the late 18th century and in the early 19th century.
Among them are details of the circumstances which led to the establishment of the Pekidim and Amarkalim (Officials and Administrators) organization, when a Jew left behind a will dedicating one third of his inheritance to the poor people of Eretz Israel. His heirs attempted to prevent the execution of the will, but R. Avraham together with R. Tzvi Hirsch Lehren endeavoured to collect the inheritance, initiating the establishment of the Pekidim and Amarkalim (pages 81-82). The copying of these Pekidim and Amarkalim documents is also unknown, as the book Igrot HaPekidim VeHaAmarkalim MeAmsterdam published in Jerusalem, 1965 only includes the letters sent from Amsterdam to Jerusalem, while these are copies of letters sent from Eretz Israel to Amsterdam. This material has not yet been sufficiently examined, but below is an outline of the letters' contents: Letters signed by R. Tuviah ben R. Shlomo, R. Natan Nata ben R. Menachem Mendel, R. Avraham Shlomo Zalman Shapira (Tzoref) and his son-in-law R. Aryeh ben R. Yerachmiel, treasurer and trustee. Letters from the rabbis of Hebron, Tiberias and Jerusalem.
A letter from Livorno containing a copy of a missive by R. Yisrael of Shklow, disciple of the Vilna Gaon to R. Shlomo Zalman Tsoref regarding the mission for locating the Ten Lost Tribes. (This letter is a new discovery in this enigmatic affair - See article by Dr. Aryeh Morgenstern, Sinai, 100, pp. 552-554).
Throughout the years, R. Avraham Prins recorded in this volume Torah and ethics thoughts, as well as eulogies for his offspring who died during his lifetime and wills he wrote at the age of 60 and 64. On p. 86, he wrote that "In Sivan 1838, I reached the age of 70". In his testament from 1849 he hints that he is 80 years old (p. 119), evidence to the fact he was born in 1768 or in 1769. R. Avraham Prins died in 1851.
Total of approx. 200 leaves (some are blank). 19.5 cm. Thick high-quality paper, very good condition. Original leather binding with gilt inscription and ornaments, in very good condition. Minor repair of tear to back cover. Ex-libris.