Description of University of Pennsylvania CAJS Rar Ms 661: Miscellany on Hebrew prose and writing. University of Pennsylvania 2026-02-10 2026-02-10 These images and the content of Library at the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies CAJS Rar Ms 661: Miscellany on Hebrew prose and writing. are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. Metadata is ©2026 University of Pennsylvania Libraries and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License version 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. For a description of the terms of use see the Creative Commons Deed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Ms. codex. Title supplied by cataloger. 1. f.3r-41v: Leshon limudim/Ibn Ẓur, Jacob ben Reuben -- 2. f.43r-56r: Leshon limudim/Serero, Saul ben Matityahu -- 3. f. 60v-80r: Leshon ḥakhamim/Rappaport, Isaac b. Judah ha-Kohen [attributed]. 420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106-3703 University of Pennsylvania Library at the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies CAJS Rar Ms 661 9979215023303681 http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1408450096 http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/1229047 https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3zg6h86g This is a manuscript miscellany composed of works on Hebrew prose, writing, and grammar; the first work is an epistolary by Jacob ben Reuben Ibn Ẓur (f. 3r-41v), and the second by Saul ben Matityahu Serero (18th century; f. 43r-56r, alive as of this manuscript), both of Fès, and both are called "Leshon limudim" in this manuscript (taken from Isaiah L:4, and used commonly as a title for works on language, composition, and grammar). The manuscript also contains an organized anthology of suffixes to be used in writing Hebrew prose attributed to Isaac b. Judah ha-Kohen Rappaport called "Leshon ḥakhamim" (f. 69v-80r; title taken from the Talmud, Hullin 137b; attributed by Jacob Moses Toledano (his description laid in with the Jewish Theological Seminary of America manuscript). Serero's work is introduced (and contains edits) by "David Oḥayo" (likely Oḥayon; f. 43r). Hebrew Miscellany on Hebrew prose and writing. [קובץ במליצות ומכתבים] Ibn Ẓur, Jacob ben Reuben, 1673-1752 אבן צור, יעקב בן ראובן Serero, Saul ben Matityahu, active 18th century סירירו, שאול בן מתתיהו attributed name Rappaport, Isaac ben Judah, ha-Kohen, -1755 רפפורט, יצחק, former owner Assayag, Yosef Yitsḥaḳ אצאייג, יוסף יצחק. former owner Gross, William L 3r Leshon limudim/Ibn Ẓur, Jacob ben Reuben 3r לשון למודים\אבן צור, יעקב בן ראובן 43r Leshon limudim/Serero, Saul ben Matityahu 43r לשון למודים\סרירו, שאול בן מתתיהו 60v Leshon ḥakhamim/Rappaport, Isaac b. Judah ha-Kohen [attributed] 60v לשון חכמים\רפפורט, יצחק בן יהודה הכהן

paper

 85 leaves : 205 x 148 (160 x 115) mm bound to 210 x 158 mm Written mostly in 25 long lines, with blind-ruling around the textblock; Leshon ḥakhamim portion written in three columns, mostly of 32 lines, ruled (verticals) in ink; running titles. Written in a Maghrebi cursive script; captions and some highlights written in a Sephardic square script.

Modern red faux-leather binding, with white endpapers; blind-tooled frame on front board.

Written in Morocco (script, usage) in the Hebrew year 5536 (1775-6; the contiguous blind-ruling indicates the decorated opening folio was part of the original manuscript; f.2r).

5536 1775-1776 Morocco Formerly owned by Tel Aviv collector William L. Gross (Kedem); former call number The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, MO.011.015. Formerly exhibited in Paris for Arts et cultures du Maroc, 2004 (Kedem). Sold by Kedem Auctions (Jerusalem), Sale 93 lot 111 (as part of selections from the Gross Family Collection). Epistolary poetry--Early works to 1800 Hebrew language--Composition and exercises Zodiac Rabbis--Morocco--Fès--Correspondence--17th century Rabbis--Morocco--Fès--Correspondence--18th century Literature anthologies tuǧras codices (bound manuscripts) Manuscripts, Hebrew--18th century