[Ḳovets targumim le-Iṭalḳit : sidur ke-minhag Romah, tefilot lomar be-vet ha-ḳevarot, ṿiduyim, ṿe-Igeret bene Mosheh / me-et Yehoshuʿa Segre]. [קובץ תרגומים לאיטלקית : סידור כמנהג רומה, תפילות לומר בבית הקברות, וידויים, ואגרת בני משה / מאת יהושע סגרה]. [Translations from Hebrew into Italian : daily service, prayers at the cemetery, confessions ascribed to Bahya and Nissim Gaon, and Letter to the sons of Moses, with L’occhio dell’Ortografia, an Italian manual for the correct writing of Italian / translated, composed and written by Salvador (Joshua) Segre of Scandiano].

Description

Title supplied by cataloguer.


Variant titles:

Siddur (Roman rite). Italian.

Tefilot ʿal ḳevarim. תפילות על קברים.

Ha-ṿidui ha-gadol ha-meyuḥas le-R. Nisim Gaʾon (targum le-Iṭalḳit). הוידוי הגדול המיוחס לר׳ נסים גאון ‏(‏תרגום לאיטלקית‏)‏.

Machazor di rito italiano.

L’uomo pentito.

Lettera scrita dalli nostri Fratelli Ebrei del Fiume Sabbation.


Summary:

The Hebrew texts were translated and likely written by Salvador Segrè (in folio 308v: “Salvador Segrè Tradutore”; see also folio 316r: “Confessioni Ebraijche … tradote da me Salvador Segrè”, and folio 318v). He is most likely identical with Joshua (Salvador) Benzion Segrè (approximately 1705–approximately 1797), teacher and rabbi in Scandiano (also the author of אשם תלוי).

The manual for the correct writing of Italian is composed and likely written by Salvador Segrè: “Fatto e Regolatto dalla Penna di Salvador Segrè” (folio 343r).

Many incipits of prayers are given also in Hebrew (functioning as headings); the signatures of the “sons of Mosheh” are provided in Italian and Hebrew (folio 359v).


Contents:

1. folio 1: “O lettore Ascolta”; introduction in which the translator discusses the necessity for an translation of the daily prayers.

2. folios 1v–308v : [Orazioni di rito italiano]; daily prayers.

3. folios 309–310: “Orattioni sopra Le sepulture per Li giorni prima del cappo d’anno e delle Spurgattioni. Composta dall’ … M. R. Israel Issarlen”; prayers to be recited in cemetery during the days before Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kipur (Elul and Yamim Noraʾim), composed by Yiśraʾel Iserlan ben Petaḥyah Ashkenaz (ישראל איסרלן בן פתחיה אשכנזי); heading (Hebrew incipit): צדיקים.

4. folios 310r–312r: “Orazione che compose … M. R. Samuel Archivolti per tutti giorni che si va sopra le Sepolture”; memorial prayer to be recited at tombs; heading (Hebrew incipit): אנא.

5. folios: 312v–315v: “Orazione dell’ … M. R. Samuel Archivolti per dire il giorno delli nuone d’ av”; prayer for Tishʿah be-Av; heading (Hebrew incipit): יהי רצון.

6. folios: 316r–342:“L’uomo Pentito : Confessioni Ebraijche del grande ... Digiuno, tradote da mè Salvaodr Segrè”; Italian translation of confessions ascribed to Baḥya ben Joseph ibn Paḳuda (בחיי בן יוסף אבן פקודה) and Nisim ben Yaʿaḳov mi-Ḳairuʾan (נסים בן יעקב מקירואן), with an introduction: “Lettore attento” (folio 317–318); heading (Hebrew incipit) of translation: ברכי נפשי (folio 318v); folios 316v and 342 are blank.

7. folios 343–352: “L’Ochio[!] dell’Ortogrofia[!]: che Sguarda Li fanciuli accio Scrivano Ittagliano à dovere. Fatto e Regolatto dalla Penna di Salvador Segrè” (in 343v: “Le regola per Scrivere giusto Ittagliano”(343v); manual and grammar for the writing of correct Italian.

8. folios 353r–359r: “Lettera scrita dalli nostri Fratelli Ebrei del Fiume Sabbation alli duoi Tribi Jeudà e Biniamin, Che dimorano in queste Parti”; in folio 359r: “Le paroli de v[ost]ri Fr[at]elli figlioli di moise che vengono Sopra la forma l’anno 5406 [1645 or 1646] alla Creatione del mondo”; Italian translation of apocryphal “Letter of the Sons of Moses” which was send allegedly from the lost tribe of the sons of Mosheh to the sages in Jerusalem in the year 5406 [1645 or 1666].

9. folio 359v: Originally blank; inscribed with owner’s note in 1762 (see below).


State of text: Relatively well preserved; underwent conservation work.


Bibliographical note:

Roth, “Catalogue”, in Alexander Marx: Jubilee Volume, vol. 1 (New York, 1950), no. 31.

National Library of Israel (NLI), Online Catalogue, system-no. 990001984880205171. The NLI’s description is based on the microfilm of MS Roth 31 made on behalf of the Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts of the NLI during the 1960s.

Davis, Handlist 164 (Leeds, 2005), no. 31.

Decoration

Some penwork ornamentation at the end of texts, and next to headings.

Physical characteristics

Script: Italian rotunda; Italian Hebrew script.

Ms. codex: width 132mm height 170mm

Binding

Full brown leather over thick boards; blind tooled decorations on covers are merging with the three raised bands on the spine; the lowest spine panel bears the typical Roth paper label with blue border inscribed with “31”; decorated end-paper.

Scribal information

Likely an authograph by the translator and author Joshua (Salvador) Benzion Segrè (see above Summary).

Former owners and annotations

Owner’s note (folio 359v): “27 Giugno 1762. Se questo Libro Si Perdes[s]e e il nome del Padron non lo. Sapete io Abrahm Grassetti de Regio di Lombardia. Abrahm d’Israel Grassetti”.


Various pen-trials and jottings in Hebrew and Italian on last two leaves.


Roth’s description of MS Roth 31, cut out from a copy of his printed catalogue, and his ex-libris are attached to back paste-down.

Access and usage

Access

This material is not subject to restrictions under Data Protection or other relevant legislation that might limit access. However, other protections, such as donor conditions or conservation considerations, may still apply where advised.

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