An autograph copy of Toledot Gedolei Yisrael, a biographical dictionary of Jewish scholars and rabbis with an emphasis on the rabbis of Italy, composed by Mordecai Samuel Ghirondi (1799-1852). Ghirondi was the scion of a famous rabbinic family and an important book collector. From 1831 until his death, Ghirondi served as the chief rabbi of Padua. Ghirondi wrote this work as an extension of Zekher Zaddikim li-Verakhah, a similar biographic work by Hananel ♋Graziadio Neppi which is also copied in this manuscript. Both works were published together (Trieste, 1853). This autograph copy, written in Padua, contains material not in the printed edition including the author's pedigree, autobiography, and approbations. The approbations were issued in 1849 by the emissaries from the Holy Land—Hayyim Nahum Mizrahi, Abraham Solomon Zalman [Zoref] and Levi Nahmias— all of whom affixed their signatures to 𝄹this text. For an important group of his unpublished manuscripts see the previous lot.

Sotheby’s is grateful to Menahem Schmelzer z”l and Benjamin Richler for🍌 cataloguing this manuscript.

Provenance

Mordecai Sa♈muel Ghirondi — Solomon Halberstam (shelf no. 301)

Physical Description

226 leaves on paper, 10 ¼ x 7 ½ inches; 260 x 190 mm, written in Italian-Sephardic semi-cursive script, some old foliation or pagination in ink; 6 leaves loose, 6 tipped-in slips with text additions, occasional ink smudges or stains. Ninet🍎eenth–century half leather.

Literature

Hirschfeld (ms. no. 477); L. Goldfeld describes this manuscript in Alei Sefer, 3 (1977), pp. 158-164