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Wedding gift prayer book

Wedding gift prayer book,1750-51. According to the inscription of the dedicatory page opposite the front page, it was an engagement present of Koppel ben Yirmiya Broda to his bride, Gitl bat Zavel Leidersdorf in 1750/51. He commissioned Meshullam Ziml of Polna to copy and illustrate the book. Gitl’s family came originally from Kismarton, or Eisenstadt (today in Burgenland, Austria). At the beginning of the 18th century, the couple moved to Vienna. In 1758, her father received a privilege-letter from the Empress Maria Theresa. This little booklet, containing 27 parchment pages with prayers for women, with 10 colorfully painted illustrations, depicts – among others - the three special commandments of women. According to Jewish tradition, there are three positive, time-bound commandments that are compulsory for women: separating and burning a piece of dough from the bread as a commemoration of the Temple in Jerusalem; the monthly cleansing in the ritual bath; and the lighting of Shabbat candles. According to the 18th century commentator, the Gaon of Vilna, the acronyms of the names of these three commandments we receive the word “charm” (Hannah: hallah, niddah, and hadlakat ha-ner, respectively).