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Bidding Information
Lot #    7783
Auction End Date    8/17/2004 12:44:00 PM (mm/dd/yyyy)
          
Title Information
Title (English)    Shirei Yehudah
Title (Hebrew)    שירי יהודה
Author    [Only Ed.] R. Judah Leib Minden of Zelichow
City    Amsterdam
Publisher    Asher Anshel b. Eliezer & Issachar b. Abraham
Publication Date    1696
          
Collection Information
Independent Item    This listing is an independent item not part of any collection
          
Description Information
Physical
Description		    27, [1] ff., 174:144 mm., light age staining, old stamps. A good copy bound in contemporary half vellum and marbled paper boards.
          
Paragraph 1    Possible the first Sabbath song book with Yiddish. Includes much contemporary religous history.
          
Detailed
Description		    Convival songs and piyyutim. The text states that it is called Shirei Yehudah, “Torah, sweet and delightful, to be sung at every meal, to give thanks offering to the Creator, and to take from it moral instruction, for then the redemption will not be lacking, and we will merit to see the consolation of Zion.” This paragraph is repeated in Yiddish. The text of the title page is surrounded on three sides by verses; the fourth (bottom) side has the date [5]356 the Lord should grant us the merit to see Jerusalem rebuilt. The title page is dated, “Tishrei, in the year ‘their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us אתנו’” (Numbers 14:9). The colophon dates the beginning of work to Thursday, 29 Tishrei (October 25, 1696) and completion to Thursday 20 Heshvan (November 15, 1696). There is an approbation from R. Moses Judah ben Kalonymous, of the Ashkenaz community of Amstelerdam, granting a privilege for two years. The author’s introduction (2a-3b) is in two columns, the inner in Hebrew, the outer in Yiddish. Within the volume the text is comprised of the shir in square vocalized letters at the top of the page, below it the same text in Yiddish, an explanation of words in Hebrew in rabbinic letters, and below this, in two columns a commentary, the inner in Hebrew the outer in Yiddish. All Yiddish texts are set in Vaybertaytsh. From 13b-23b is the text only, and from 24a the text is in Hebrew only.

From the approbation it appears that R. Judah Leib ben Moses Minden (c. 1640-1711) was a resident of Altona and Hamburg and served as hazzan for the communities of Aptrud and Minden. Among the remarks in the text are a number of criticisms of hazzanim (27b) who perform in a theatrical or operatic manner, imitating nature, such as the “sound of great waters” (Psalms 93:4). R. Judah Leib Zelichover (13b) disapproved of the excessive lengthening of “Amen”-melodies by some of his fellow singers. He likewise offers a healthy dose of criticism to the general public (3–4) "And when the boys are 13 and above they abandon the commandments and deal in business" or on another page "When a preacher [darshan] opens his mouth to preach in public it is impossible to hear his sermon because of the noise of he mob [hamon]."

          
Paragraph 2    לשורר על כל סעודה [עם תרגום אשכנזי-יהודי]... המחבר... יהודה ליב בן מהור"ר משה ז"ל חזן וסופר... דפוס קאשמן עמריך, בבית המשותפים אשר אנשיל בן אליעזר חזן ויששכר בער בן אברהם אליעזר

עם פירוש ודברי מוסר על עניית אמן גם בתרגום אשכנזי-יהודי. הסכמה: ר' משה יהודה ב"ר קלונימוס הכהן, אמשטרדם, כט תשרי תנ"ז.

          
Reference
Description		    EJ; Fuks II no. 523; Vinograd, Amsterdam 651; CD-EPI 0148056
        
Associated Images
2 Images (Click thumbnail to view full size image):
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  2   Click to view full size  
  
  
Listing Classification
Period
17th Century:    Checked
  
Location
Holland:    Checked
  
Subject
History:    Checked
Music:    Checked
  
Characteristic
First Editions:    Checked
Language:    Hebrew, Judeo-German
  
Manuscript Type
  
Kind of Judaica