Obj. ID: 48870
Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts Ketubbah, Jerusalem, 1879
The following description was prepared by William Gross:
Colorful illustrated and ornamented Ketubah in Moroccan-Oriental handwriting, recording the marriage of the groom “charming young man, may he be blessed, prominent scholar Rabbi Avraham Pilosof”, and bride Joya daughter of Rabbi Raphael Moshe HaKohen. Signature of the groom and rabbinical signatures of witnesses Rabbi “Shlomo son of Rabbi Avraham” and “David son of Gij”. Jerusalem, 13 Sivan, 1879. The second witness is the Chief Rabbi of Larissa, David Angel, who in 1879, became a Shaliah of Beth El in Jerusalem for a term of 5 years.
Groom Rabbi Avraham Pilosof (1864-1940), later known as one of the leading rabbis of Jerusalem, was born in Larissa (a city neighboring Thessaloniki, Greece); when he was approximately one year old and immigrated with his parents to Jerusalem. Studied Torah by scholars of Jerusalem; disciple of Rabbi Baruch Pinto who was a relative of his wife. Associate of “Beit E-l” and studied Kabbalah by Rabbi Yitzchak Sharim. In 1897 was appointed Dayan in Beit Din headed by Rabbi Ya’akov Shimon of Tallinn together with his rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Sharim. Upon establishment of the office of the rabbinate in 1921 was appointed as chief Av Beit Din of the Sephardic rabbinical court. Served in communal positions and led the Sephardic congregation of Jerusalem.
The date of the marriage was 4 June 1879 (13 Sivan 5639).
It is a contract between Sephardic families from the city.
Groom: Rabbi Avraham Pilisof, (1864 - 1940)
Bride: Joya bat Raphael Moshe Hakohen
In the book Yehudei HaMizrach by Moshe David Ga’on, p. 551, he writes that the marriage of Rabbi Avraham and Ms. Joya daughter of Rabbi Raphael Moshe HaKohen took place in Sivan 1881, whereas in this Ketubah it is verified that he married in Sivan 1879.
We are grateful to Michael Waas for the information about his descendant the Chief Rabbi of Larissa David Angel.
1 image(s)
sub-set tree:
Fair condition, stains, wear and tear.
A Ketubah (Hebrew: כְּתוּבָּה ; "written thing"; pl. Ketubot) is a special type of Jewish prenuptial agreement. It is considered an integral part of traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride. The content of the Ketubah is in essence a one-way contract that formalizes the various requirements by Halacha (Jewish law) of a Jewish husband vis à vis his wife. The Jewish husband takes upon himself in the Ketubah the obligation that he will provide to his wife three major things: clothing, food and conjugal relations, and also that he will pay her a pre-specified amount of cash in the case of a divorce. Thus the content of the Ketubah essentially dictates security and protection for the woman, and her rights in the marriage. This document is signed and then given to the bride as her property. In Italy and most of the Islamic countries in which Jews resided, such a Ketubah was often decorated, a tradition originating with the Jews in Spain. Today, generally, printed Ketubot are used.
Ketubot created in Jerusalem in the 19th century were made in the general style of the Ottoman Empire. This example is one of several by the same artist.