A Special Composition Handwritten by Rabbi Avigdor ben Rabbi Avraham of Kushta – Late 18th Century – Unknown ...

A Special Composition Handwritten by Rabbi Avigdor ben Rabbi Avraham of Kushta – Late 18th Century – Unknown Historical Details

A handwritten composition, a rhymed dictionary, sayings by the Sages, and rhymed idioms. Handwritten by Rabbi Avigdor ben Rabbi Avraham of Kushta (Constantinople).

Including versions of gravestones written by him, riddles, proverbs, poetic phrases and historical details about the period, the Avigdor family and the sages of Kushta. A large, complete composition. Kushta, the second half of the 18th century.

The manuscript contains thousands of rhymed idioms and Talmudic sayings by the Sages, especially those from the Babylonian Talmud, and from the bible, as well as, many poetic phrases which can be used for writing letters, introductions and approbations for books, versions of gravestones and more. For most of the saying, Rabbi Avigdor adds their Talmudic source.

At the end of the manuscript (from p. 157), poems, poetic phrases and versions of gravestones written by the author and versions of gravestones written by others, among them versions of gravestones of Turkish rabbis and members of their families.

On leaf 165 "A proverb and figure, the word of the wise and their riddles", quips and riddles with their solutions.

Rabbi Avigdor ben Rabbi Avraham of Kushta was born in Kushta and studied with Rabbi Eliezer Nachum author of "Chazon Nachum". His father, Rabbi Avraham, was a well-known genius, author of the "Zchor L'Avraham" Responsa (Kushta, 1827), and head of a yeshiva in Kushta with many students. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Yitzchak Ben David of Kushta author of "Divrei Emet". Among others, his book introduces novella by his sons, Rabbi Yosef and Rabbi Avigdor.

His biographers wrote that he died in circa 1787; however, in the manuscript before us, his son indicates that he died on Friday, the 22nd of Adar 1782. It is known that Rabbi Avigdor had a son named Avraham. In addition, as indicated by the manuscript before us, he had another son named Eliyahu and a daughter, Sarah, who both died young. Rabbi Yosef, Rabbi Avraham's second son, proofread and added glosses to hi sfather's book. Rabbi Yosef had a son name Rabbi Avigdor, and his son is Rabbi Avraham Avigdor (the great grandson of Rabbi Avraham author of "Zchor L'Avraham".

[104] leaves, written on both their sides. Mispagination.

21x23cm. Good overall condition. Original leather binding. The binding and many leaves are detached. Tears at the margins. In the first leaf, two small tears, with loss of text.