Lot of Two Rare Liturgical Books: Sefer Mikra'ei Kodesh (1894) & Sefer Derech HaChayim (1923)

Lot 61: Lot of Two Rare Liturgical Books: Sefer Mikra'ei Kodesh (1894) & Sefer Derech HaChayim (1923)

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Start price: £100

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This significant lot features two unique liturgical works representing the Bukharan and Libyan Jewish diasporas.

Sefer Mikra’ei Kodesh (ספר מקראי קדש): Printed in Jerusalem, 1894, for the community of Old Bukhara. It contains prayers and laws in Hebrew alongside a Judeo-Tajik (Persian) translation. The title page features the chronogram year "צדקה מאלהי ישעו".
Sefer Derech HaChayim (ספר דרך החיים): Printed in Tripoli, Libya, 1923. This rare North African imprint includes specific local liturgies such as the order for the night of a Brit Milah (Leyl HaMila) and special prayers for the Purim of Tripoli.

Notable Connection: This lot captures the global reach of Jewish printing. The Bukharan volume features the stamp of the merchant Yedidya Yosefof, who bridged the Silk Road with the printing presses of the Holy Land. The Tripoli volume is a rare example of Libyan Hebrew printing, containing local "Mi Kamocha" hymns that were composed to celebrate the community’s historical salvations.

Editors:

Mikra’ei Kodesh: Yedidya Yosefof (ידידיה יוסופוף).

Derech HaChayim: Avraham Teshuva (אברהם תשובה).

Condition report:

Sefer Mikra\'ei Kodesh: In heavily used "ritual" condition. It remains in its original binding. The first blank leaf (flyleaf) has been cut off. Blue tape is applied to the spine and the inner hinge of the title page, likely covering historical tears or writing. There are significant tears and losses to the text on several interior pages (including p. 53 and 169). The final pages are missing portions of the text due to extensive handling.

Sefer Derech HaChayim: Retains its original red and green cloth binding. The interior

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