Kehillot Moshe – Set of Large-Format Mikraot Gedolot – Amsterdam, 1724-1728 – Ownership Inscriptions and Signatures ...

Kehillot Moshe – Set of Large-Format Mikraot Gedolot – Amsterdam, 1724-1728 – Ownership Inscriptions and Signatures – With a Beautiful Handwritten Leaf, Order of Weekly Study of the Bible and the Mishnah – India or Iraq
Kehillot Moshe, Mikraot Gedolot – Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim, with all the commentaries. Amsterdam: R. Moses Frankfurter the dayan, [1724-1728].
Complete, elegant set. Four parts in four, particularly large-format volumes. With a decorated handwritten leaf presenting a study program of the Bible and the Mishna, divided into weekly portions.
This edition includes many compositions and commentaries from leading Torah scholars, some of which are published here for the first time. This edition also includes Masorah Gedola and Masorah Ketana, copied from earlier editions of Mikraot Gedolot printed in Venice, with the correction of some of the errors which had crept into the Masorah texts. The publisher, editor and printer of this edition was R. Moshe Frankfurter (1678-1868), a dayan in Amsterdam, who authored and published many books in his own and in other printing presses in Amsterdam (Nefesh Yehuda on Menorat HaMaor; Shiva Petilot – a summary of Menorat HaMaor; Zeh Yenachamenu on Mechilta; Kometz HaMincha, Mincha Ketana and Mincha Gedola – printed in this edition; and more). He is especially celebrated for his new edition of Be'er HaGolah on Shulchan Aruch.
Many signatures and ownership inscriptions on each of the title pages and on other leaves (especially on the title page of the first volume), including: "Eliyah Yitzchak Madai", "Yaakov Yonah Yitzchak" (a notable of the Calcutta community, India, see: Avraham Ben-Yaakov, Yehudei Bavel BaTefutzot, p. 137), "Binyamin Shlomo Atzlan", "I purchased it in Surat from R. Binyamin Shlomo Atzlan… Cheshvan 1806, Suleiman Yosef Nissim Suleiman", "I gave it as a gift to R. Moshe Rachamim… Suleiman Yosef Nissim… Roch Chodesh Menachem [Av] 1811", "Moshe Rachamim Yaakov Yitzchak David, today, Monday Rosh Chodesh Menachem 1811", "I acquired this, Chaim David Chaim Shlomo David, purchased from… Rachamim Yaakov Yitzchak David, here Surat… Tevet 1812…", "The honor of the second buyer is greater than that of the first… and here is my name in the signature, Chaim David Chaim" (a notable of Surat, India, see Ben-Yaakov, ibid, p. 45), "I sold it to R. Moshe Ch. Shaul, from all my possessions, today Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 1848… David Chaim David Chaim".
A complete handwritten leaf (square and semi-cursive Oriental script; Iraq or India) was bound into vol. II – Neviim Rishonim, after the Book of Shmuel, between leaves 248-249. At the center of the leaf is a table presenting the order of study of the Bible and the Six Orders of the Mishnah divided into weekly portions, set on a background of geometric designs. The table is topped with a beautiful, decorated heading – "Seder HaLimud" (on a floral black and white background, reminiscent of a papercut), followed by (in smaller writing): "This is the order of study for one who wishes the merit of completing every year all Five Books of the Torah, as well as Neviim and Ketuvim, and the Six Orders of the Mishnah, he should divide them as follows in portions for every week, and the tractates are divided according to the topic of that week's Torah portion".
The name of the writer is inscribed on both sides of the table, in hollow letters on a black background: "And I, with my quill, Chaim David Chaim Sh.". A closeup look of the inscription on the left side of the leaf shows that a different name was originally inscribed – "Suleiman Yosef Nissim" (one of the early owners of the book, whose signature appears on the title pages), and it was filled with ink to create the name currently appearing – "Chaim David Chaim" (a later owner, also featured amongst the signatures on the title pages).
Four volumes: Vol I: [10], 293, [2] leaves. Vol. II: [2], 46, [4], 47-378 leaves. Vol. III: [2], 322 leaves. Vol. IV: [5], 413 [i.e. 415]; 65 leaves. Leaves 263-264 bound out of sequence. 43 cm. Some particularly darkened leaves. Overall good-fair condition. Stains. Dampstains. Singeing in many places (possibly from study by candlelight), slightly affecting text. New, matching bindings.