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[Shem Tov Gabay letter to Emanuel Ergas].
Library at the Katz Center - Rare Book Room CAJS Rar Ms 594
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- Format:
- Book
- Manuscript
- Author/Creator:
- Gabay, Shem Tov ben Jacob, 1715?-1788?
- Language:
- Aramaic
- Hebrew
- Subjects (All):
- Ergas, Mosheh, -1747?--Death and burial.
- Condolence notes--18th century--Specimens.
- Condolence notes.
- Jewish philanthropists--18th century.
- Jewish philanthropists.
- Jews--Italy--Livorno--18th century--History--Sources.
- Jews.
- Jews--Jerusalem--18th century--History--Sources.
- Local Subjects:
- Ergas, Mosheh, -1747?--Death and burial.
- Genre:
- letters of condolence.
- tuǧras.
- Penn Provenance:
- Sold by Winner's Auctions (Jerusalem), July 20, 2020 lot 38.
- Physical Description:
- 1 leaf : paper ; 178 x 166 (82 x 112) mm.
- Place of Publication:
- Yerushalayim, R[osh] Ḥ[odesh] Tamuz [5]507 [June 1747].
- ירושלים, ר"ח תמוז תק"ז.
- Language Note:
- Hebrew, with some words in Aramaic.
- Biography/History:
- Rabbi and cabalist closely associated with Ḥayyim ben Moses Attar (1696-1743); originated in Morocco, traveled with Attar to Livorno, and was active as his assistant; he was present and assisted the organization of Attar's yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem (Yeshivat Keneset Yiśraʼel; initiated probably Elul 5502, September 1742) and later formed Yeshivat Gedulat Mordekhay; Hayyim Joseph David Azulai attended this yeshivah under Gabay, and attested to Gabay's works surviving in manuscript.
- Summary:
- This is a manuscript letter written by Shem Tov Gabay to Emanuel Ergas sending condolences upon the passing of his uncle, Mosheh Ergas, a philanthropist who had given Gabay assistance to building yeshivas in the Holy Land. Ergas had donated funds on monthly installment (מדי חודש בחודשו, line 9) and served as Livorno's steward for the funds raised for the yeshiva in Jerusalem. Emanuel Ergas was the son of Joseph ben Immanuel Ergas, cabalist and rabbi of Livorno (1696-1730, author of Shomer emunim; this is recorded in the address written on the dorse of UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 594 (f.2v).
- Notes:
- Title supplied by cataloger.
- Layout: Written in one column of sixteen lines (1 line of date, 3 lines of introduction, 12 lines of letter text); text justified to right margin (originally creased (possibly along blind-ruling) at right margin).
- Origin: Written in Jerusalem (secretarial note on bottom) in June 1747.
- Decoration: Two tuǧras, one of the word שלום at upper right, and larger one at bottom right (Shem Tov Gabay's personal tuǧra signature).
- Script: Written in a Moroccan cursive script in the hand of Shem Tov Gabay; חותמים פה ירושלים תובבא אמן in a different hand (possibly of a secretary).
- Local Notes:
- Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Elis & Ruth Douer Endowed Fund.
- Cited as:
- UPenn CAJS Rar Ms 594.
- OCLC:
- 1350611739
- Online:
- Unique at Penn
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