This manuscript by Jacob ben Asher (son of the rabbi and codifier Asher ben Jehiel) contains one of the oldest copies of the Jewish code Arba'ah Turim. The entire work treats all rules of Jewish law concerning prayers and the synagog. This manuscript contains only the first of four parts. The main text is surrounded by many glosses and commentaries; noteworthy is an autograph note by the influential 15th century German rabbi Jacob Weil in Slavic. The manuscript offers variant readings to the standard editions and contains some otherwise unknown Responsa ("rabbinic answers") by the important Rabbi Israel Isserlin (1390-1460). (red)

This manuscript contains the seven chapters of the aphorisms of Hippocrates in the Hebrew translation of Hillel ben Samuel of Verona (ca. 1220 – ca. 1295); in contrast to other extant translations, it is based on the Latin translation of Constantinus Africanus († before 1098/99) rather than on the Arabic translation from the Greek. The translation is accompanied by the commentary of Moses ben Isaac da Rieti (1388 - after 1460), Chief Rabbi of Rome and poet. His commentary is based largely on the commentaries of Moses Maimonides (1138 - 1240) and of Galen of Pergamum (second century AD). This manuscript preserves the first of two well-known versions of the commentary. The dating is based on the identification of the watermark in the paper. (red)

The author of the text of this manuscript, Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (1522-1570), was considered one of the leading figures of the kabbalistic movement in the city of Safed (Upper Galilee), which became the new center of the kabbalistic movement after the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula. One of the most important concepts among the kabbalists of Safed was that of mystical prayer, whilst the central concept in this doctrine was that of kavvanah (mystical intention; plural, kavvanot). The Tefillah le-Moshe (Moses' Prayers) contains kavvanot for weekdays and the Shabbat. The round Hebrew cursive, semi-cursive, and square scripts used in the manuscript are enhanced by a variety of pen-work foliage designs. On the title page the scribe referred to himself as “young and insignificant, worm and not a man, AR”I in the city of Modena.” Ari is the Hebrew word for “lion”, but should be understood here as an abbreviation of the copyist's name, perhaps the well-known writer Juday Aryeh (Leone) Modena (1571-1648). (red)

The titel of this mohel book (circumcision book) from 1716 is Book of the Lord's Mystery with the [commentary] "Golden Scepter"; based on the style and script of the scribe (Sofer), it can be attributed to Aryeh ben Judah Leib of Trebitsch (Moravia), who was active in Vienna. The manuscript contains several illustrations of various scenes: among others on the title page there is a depiction of a group of people in a synagog engaged in a discussion. It is noteworthy that not only men, but also women are present. The second folio shows the archangel Raphael with the young Tobias, who is carrying home a fish to cure his father's blindness. The archangel Raphael as guardian angel of children is a motif that usually occurs only in Christian art. Aryeh ben Judah Leib might have used an unknown Catholic model in order to better illustrate the protective function of circumcision for Jewish boys. In his writing, Aryeh ben Judah was guided by Amsterdam letters and thus initiated the fashion of be-otijjot Amsterdam ("with Amsterdam letters"), producing manuscripts with Amsterdam (print) fonts. (red)

In addition to the Seder Birkat ha-Mazon ("Grace after Meals"), this mid-18th century manuscript contains the Birkhot ha-Nehenin ("Blessings over Enjoyments"), the Shalosh Mitzvot Nashim ("Three Commandments for Women") and the Seder Keri'at Shema al ha-Mittah ("Reading of the Shema before retiring at night"). The passages relating to the three commandments imposed on women indicate that the book was meant as a bridal gift. Besides the image on the front page, the book contains 22 smaller colored illustrations. A Hebrew phrase on the the title page refers to the place of origin, Deutschkreutz in Burgenland (Austria). Based on stylistic characteristics of the script and decoration, the manuscript can be attributed to the scribe and illustrator Aaron Wolf Herlingen. (red)

The psalms in this manuscript are subdivided according to the days of the week on which they are to be read and, with exception of the psalms for Friday, these daily sections have decorated monochrome or multicolored initial word panels. The manuscript has an architectural title page representing Moses and Aaron standing in arches. Particularly impressive is the picture at the beginning of the first Psalm where, following the initial word ashre, on folio 6v is a depiction of King David sitting outside on the terrace of a palace, playing the harp while looking at an open volume, which most probably represents his psalms. This Braginsky manuscript has been copied and decorated by Moses Judah Leib ben Wolf Broda of Trebitsch, who is also responsible for perhaps the most famous decorated Hebrew manuscript of the eighteenth century – the Von Geldern Haggadah of 1723. Including this Braginsky psalter, a total of seven manuscripts by Moses Judah Leib are known, produced between 1713-1723. The brown mottled calf binding carries the emblem of the De Pinto family of Amsterdam tooled in gold on both the front and the back covers. (red)

The fast day Yom Kippur Katan has its origin in the holiday of Rosh Hodesh, which in biblical times marked the first day in the lunar calendar on which the crescent moon was visible after a new moon. This day, when work originally was not allowed, later, through the compilation of the Talmud, developed into a minor festival. The mystics of Safed in Upper Galilee turned Rosh Hodesh into a fast day and developed a liturgy based on penitential prayers for Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"). This gave rise to the name Yom Kippur Katan ("Minor Day of Atonement"). The new custom spread to Italy and finally on to Northern Europe. Similar collections of prayers were particularly popular in the 18th century. In contrast to many others, this exemplar is decorated with an illustrated title page. If Judah Leib ben Meir of Glogau had not identified himself as scribe on this title page, it would probably be assumed to be the work of Aaron Wolf Herlingen of Gewitsch, since the style and the script correspond to his. For the time being, one can only speculate about the connection between Herlingen and the actual scribe Meir. (red)

Joseph (Juspa), shammes of Worms (1604-1678), recorded the everyday life, the rites and the customs of the Jewish community in Worms, one of the oldest and most important in all of Europe. This autograph manuscript contains commentaries on the prayer book, on the Birkat Hamason ("Grace after Meals"), on the Haggadah and on the Pirkei Avot ("Sayings of the Fathers") as well as prayer-related customs and autobiographical remarks. The comments on Minhagim ("customs") were incorporated into the printed edition of the Wormser Minhagbuch, but large parts of this manuscript remain unpublished and serve as an important source for the religious history of one of the most significant Jewish communities in Europe. This manuscript belonged to, among others, Rabbi Michael Scheyer; later it was part of the private library of Salman Schocken in Jerusalem. (red)

At the end of the last volume (Vol. 4) of this Hebrew Bible with Masoretic comments (textual criticism) is the older colophon, which states that Isaac ben Ishai Sason completed it in 1491 in Ocaña, (Spain). At the end of the original first volume, now the second volume (Vol. 2), another colophon states that this part was completed in 1494 in Evora in the Kingdom of Portugal, two years after the expulsion of the Jews from Spanish Castile. Originally this Bible was divided into two parts, presenting an unusual, non-canonical order of the books. In the 19th century, it was divided into four volumes (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4), received a new binding and was decorated with a purple leather cover and gold embossing. In the 18th century, this Bible was housed in the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites of S. Paolo in Florence; after the convent was sacked by Napoleonic forces, the manuscript was probably in the Vatican Library, but in 1827 already it was sold in England. Before coming to the Braginsky Collection in Zurich, it was part of the collection of Beriah Botfield. (red)

At the end of the last volume (Vol. 4) of this Hebrew Bible with Masoretic comments (textual criticism) is the older colophon, which states that Isaac ben Ishai Sason completed it in 1491 in Ocaña, (Spain). At the end of the original first volume, now the second volume (Vol. 2), another colophon states that this part was completed in 1494 in Evora in the Kingdom of Portugal, two years after the expulsion of the Jews from Spanish Castile. Originally this Bible was divided into two parts, presenting an unusual, non-canonical order of the books. In the 19th century, it was divided into four volumes (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4), received a new binding and was decorated with a purple leather cover and gold embossing. In the 18th century, this Bible was housed in the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites of S. Paolo in Florence; after the convent was sacked by Napoleonic forces, the manuscript was probably in the Vatican Library, but in 1827 already it was sold in England. Before coming to the Braginsky Collection in Zurich, it was part of the collection of Beriah Botfield. (red)

At the end of the last volume (Vol. 4) of this Hebrew Bible with Masoretic comments (textual criticism) is the older colophon, which states that Isaac ben Ishai Sason completed it in 1491 in Ocaña, (Spain). At the end of the original first volume, now the second volume (Vol. 2), another colophon states that this part was completed in 1494 in Evora in the Kingdom of Portugal, two years after the expulsion of the Jews from Spanish Castile. Originally this Bible was divided into two parts, presenting an unusual, non-canonical order of the books. In the 19th century, it was divided into four volumes (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4), received a new binding and was decorated with a purple leather cover and gold embossing. In the 18th century, this Bible was housed in the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites of S. Paolo in Florence; after the convent was sacked by Napoleonic forces, the manuscript was probably in the Vatican Library, but in 1827 already it was sold in England. Before coming to the Braginsky Collection in Zurich, it was part of the collection of Beriah Botfield. (red)

At the end of the last volume (Vol. 4) of this Hebrew Bible with Masoretic comments (textual criticism) is the older colophon, which states that Isaac ben Ishai Sason completed it in 1491 in Ocaña, (Spain). At the end of the original first volume, now the second volume (Vol. 2), another colophon states that this part was completed in 1494 in Evora in the Kingdom of Portugal, two years after the expulsion of the Jews from Spanish Castile. Originally this Bible was divided into two parts, presenting an unusual, non-canonical order of the books. In the 19th century, it was divided into four volumes (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4), received a new binding and was decorated with a purple leather cover and gold embossing. In the 18th century, this Bible was housed in the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites of S. Paolo in Florence; after the convent was sacked by Napoleonic forces, the manuscript was probably in the Vatican Library, but in 1827 already it was sold in England. Before coming to the Braginsky Collection in Zurich, it was part of the collection of Beriah Botfield. (red)

This manuscript contains an Evronot ("Rules for Calculation of the Calendar"). Many so-called Sifre evoronot ("Books of calculation") emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries. They can be taken as a reaction to the Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582. Such manuscripts often depict the biblical Issachar, one of Jacob's sons, on or near a ladder; as an attribute, he holds an hourglass in his hand. This manuscript has two such miniatures; above the first of which there is also an illustration of a waning and a waxing moon with a human face and stars. The title page depicts an ornamental architectural arch. At the end of the book, there is the familiar motif of Moses seated at a table holding the Tablets of the Law. (red)

The halakhic text Shibbolei ha-Leket ("Ears of Gleaning") by Zedekia ben Abraham Anav of Rom (ca. 1225-1297) contains one of the first attempts of codifying Jewish religious law in Italy and of presenting a systematic overview thereof. The text is divided into 12 sections of a total of 372 paragraphs; its content addresses the rules concerning the order of the prayers and the laws for Shabbat, holidays and feasts, in addition to other halakhic subjects, which are presented from a markedly Ashkenazic perspective. The manuscript is not dated. It was copied by the scribes Moses and Samuel either during the lifetime or shortly after the death of the author and thus is one of the earliest surviving copies of the text. (red)

The Spanish kabbalist Abraham Abulafia (1240- after 1291) advocated a concept of Kabbalah that had little or nothing to do with the well-known schools of thought. He considered Kabbalah neither as a form of gnosis nor as a kind of theosophical theory that concentrates on the Sefirot, the emanation of the Divine Being. Instead he attempted to attain a state of prophetic-mystical ecstasy, based on his conviction that the experience of the prophets was an ecstatic experience and that all true mystics were prophets. This work of his was especially popular and circulated under the titles Hayyei ha-Olam ha-Ba ("Life of the World to Come"), Sefer ha-Shem ("Book of the Divine Name") or Sefer ha-Iggulim ("Book of Circles"); in this manuscript, however, it is called Sefer ha-Shem ha-Meforash ("Book of the Ineffable name"). The manuscript presents ten inscriptions in concentric circles in red and black ink, as well as 128 only in black ink. They contain detailed instructions for mystical meditation. While contemplating these circles, one should recite the 72-lettered name of God, which is arrived at by combining the numerical values of the letters in the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, of the Patriarchs, and the nine letters of the words shivtei yisra'el ("the tribes of Irasel"). The reader should "enter" each of the triple black and red circles at the point where an "entrance" is designated by means of a small pen stroke. (red)

The book Minhagim ("Religious Customs") is attributed to Samuel of Ulm, although the authorship is not unequivocally clear. Contentwise the manuscript contains various teachings based on the views of Jacob Moellin (1360-1427). He is regarded as one of the most important spiritual authorities of the Ashkenazic world. The manuscript probably was written in the last third of the 15th century in Northern Italy, since the pen drawings can be placed in the Northern Italian tradition of that period. Several motifs from the manuscript seem to "grow" out of an ornament, such as a head with a bumpy nose and heavy eyelids or a long city wall with round towers, and are considered typical for Joel ben Simeon, the most important representative of this Northern Italian tradition of illustration. (red)

This obviously much-used manuscript is in good overall condition; it is written in an elegant square and semi-cursive Ashkenazic script. It contains daily prayers and piyyutim for holidays and special occasions. In addition, it contains the entire text of the Haggadah, which at this time already tended to be copied out separately. The manuscript contains interesting evidence of the influence of censorship. During the Middle Ages, the prayer Alenu le-shabbeah was believed to contain an insult to Christianity. As in many other cases, here, too, the controversial passage was omitted by the copyist (f. 19r-v). In the 16th century, the entire manuscript was inspected by Dominico Irosolimitano in Mantua, one of the most active censors of Jewish writings in Italy. However, he did not expurgate a single passage, but merely signed the last page of the manuscript (f. 112v), thus confirming his inspection. (red)

The anonymous hymn of praise to the Creator Perek schira has been preserved in hundreds of manuscripts. Most of the important 18th-century Hebrew book illustrators illustrated the hymn. This manuscript was written for Hertz ben Leib Darmstadt of Frankfurt am Main and contains pen drawings by Meshulam Zimmel ben Moses from Polna/Bohemia; however, he probably produced this manuscript in Vienna. (red)

This Miscellany for Life Cycle Events from the last third of the 15th century was probably a wedding gift. It was copied by Leon ben Joshua de Rossi of Cesena. It contains: prayers for circumcision; a formula for a marriage contract from Correggio 1452 (without names); texts for marriage rituals, including a hymn with the acrostic El'azar; a marriage contract, concluded in Parma in 1420 between Judah, son of Elhanan of Ascoli Piceno, and Stella, daughter of Solomon of Mantua; prayers recited at the cemetery with a Grace after Meals for mourners; a ritual for avoiding bad dreams; Ka'arat kesef, an ethical poem by the 13th-century Provençal poet Jehoseph ben Hanan ben Nathan Ezobi; finally, added in a different hand, a personal prayer by Moses Latif for Joab Immanuel Finzi. Immediately following the contract, there is a depiction of a bridal couple (f. 10v). The bride's headdress, clothing and veil correspond to the contemporary fashion of Ferrara, which confirms that the manuscript is of Italian origin, perhaps even from Ferrara. (red)

This Passover Haggadah with a Yiddish translation of the hymn Had Gadya (f. 23r) was copied and illustrated by Nathan ben Simson of Mezeritsch (now Velke Mezirici, Tschechische Republik). It contains, among others, a decorated title page, a cycle depicting ceremonies performed during the Jewish Passover seder, nine text illustrations, and a cycle for the concluding hymn Had Gadya (f. 23r). (red)