The Halpern Judaica Collection: Tradition and Treasure | Part I
The Halpern Judaica Collection: Tradition and Treasure | Part I
Two Turkish Silver Hand-Form Torah Finials with Kabbalistic Formulas, Gallipoli, dated 1883
No reserve
Auction Closed
December 15, 09:26 PM GMT
Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Two Turkish Silver Hand-Form Torah Finials with Kabbalistic Formulas, Gallipoli, dated 1883
of cut sheet metal with engraved Hebrew inscriptions on both sides, both repaired where stave meets body
Height of taller approx. 10¼in. (26 cm)
Jay Weinstein, A Collector’s Guide to Judaica, London: Thames & Hudson, 1985, p. 90, fig. 101-102.
Dr. David Sheby, The Sephardic Community of Gallipoli (Gelibolu) (Kahal Kadosh Gallipoli), Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture, http://www.sephardicstudies.org/gallipoli.html
On each hand, the side with the thumb on the left: the text of the priestly blessing (Num. 6:24-27), followed by an acronymic version of the prayer of Rabbi Nehuniah ben ha-Kanah (Anna be-Koah) and other kabbalistic formulas.
On each hand, the side with the thumb on the right: “We were taught: There are three crowns—the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty [Avot 4:13]. The descendants of Aaron merited to take the crown of priesthood, the descendants of David merited to take the crown of royalty, but the crown of Torah lies in the ark—any who wishes to claim it, let him come and claim it.”
One hand goes on to say: “Consecrated using the charity fund of the holy community of Gallipoli, may God protect it.” The other goes on to say: “Consecrated using the miscellaneous charity fund to make this. This crown is from the old Jewish community of Gallipoli, may God protect it… in the year 5643 [1883].”
The 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia recorded, "Gallipoli has two synagogues, one built in 1721 and rebuilt in 1852; the other is quite recent. It has also a Jewish school containing 250 boys, as well as six benevolent societies. The community is administered by a council of ten; its revenue comes mostly from taxes on kasher meat, wines, and heads of families." After 1878 Raphael Ḥayyim Binyamin Peretz was named rabbi; he had been a dayyan in Istanbul, and previously published Zokhrenu le-Ḥayyim (3 vols, Salonica, 1867–72). An earthquake in 1912 destroyed the Jewish quarter and its two synagogues. Emigration to the United States and Israel occurred throughout the 20th Century, and by 1977 no Jews were left in Gallipoli.