Pair of Torah finials (rimonim)

Inscription: FINIAL .1 - NICHE A

\ ב"ה
\ כתר תורה
\ וזאת התורה
\ אשר שם משה
\ לפני בני ישראל
\ תורה צוה לנו
\ משה מורשה
\ קהילת יעקב
\ חזק

[trans.: Blessed is the Name
Crown of Torah (Ethics of the Fathers 4:13)
And this is the Torah
Which Moses set
Before the Children of Israel (Deut. 4:44)
Torah was commanded to us
By Moses, an inheritance
of the congregation of Jacob (Deut. 33:4)
Be strong!]

[Note: The “Crown of Torah” is an expression from Ethics of the Fathers 4:13: Crown of Torah, crown of priesthood, crown of sovereignty; the crown of a good name exceeds them all. This verse continues on the top lines of most niches of the finials.

FINIAL .1 – NICHE B

ב''ה
כתר כהונה
אנכי לא תרצח
לא יהיה לא תנאף
ל(א) חשא לא תפב
וכט אה לא ת(ע)וה
כבר את לא
בסימנא תח(מ)ד
טבא

[trans.: Blessed is the Name
Crown of priesthood (Ethics of the Fathers 4:13)
I [am the Lord] / Thou shalt not murder
You shall not have [other gods] / Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not take [the name of the Lord] / Thou shalt not steal
Remember [the Sabbath Day] / Thou shalt not bear false witness
Honor [your father and mother] / Thou shalt not covet
With a good sign

[This niche bears the initial word(s) of each of the Ten Commandments. Interestingly, the engraving is meant to mimic the placement of the Hebrew words on the original tablets, that is, two columns of five commandments, side by side.]

FINIAL .1 – NICHE C

\ בכ"ר
\ אבג יתצ
\ קרע שטן
\ נגד יכש
\ בטר צתג
\ חקב טנע
\ יגל פזק
\ שקו צית
\ (ב)שב מלו

[Note: These letters comprise the forty-two letter Divine Name. This sacred name is referenced in Talmudic texts as only entrusted to those who display pious character. This name, along with other mystical names of God recur on silver Torah accessories, especially of Jews in the Sephardic lands, where physical Torah scroll was believed to possess magical power. A group of Persian finials as well as a group from Georgia are particularly rich in such inscriptions.]

FINIAL .1 – NICHE D

\ ב"ה
\ כתר שם
\ טוב עולה על
\ גכיהן בן פרת
\ יוס בן פרת
\ עלי עין כנות
\ צעדה עלי
\ שור

[trans.: Blessed is the Name
Crown of a good name
Exceeds them all. (Ethics of the Fathers 4:13)
A charming son
is Joseph; a son charming
to the eye; [of the] women,
[each one] strode along
to see him. (Genesis 49:22)

[Note: Some finials from Sephardic lands are engraved with biblical verses associated with dispelling the force of the evil eye. The above verse is an example of this trend. It is based on the Talmudic text in Tractate Berakhot (20a) that states not to read עלי עין as 'ale 'ayin, but 'ole 'ayin,’ literally, “rising above the evil eye.”]

FINIAL .1 – NICHE E

\ ב"ה
\ פעמון זהב
\ ורמון פעמון זהב
\ ורמון זאת הרימונים
\ הקדישו סיניור
\ מיכאל ב'ר סיניוו
\ יעקכ גורלי שול'
\ ואשחו ס"י אסתר
\ בת חכם ריבי
\ סימן לעילוהי
\ הנשמות

[trans.: Blessed is the Name
Golden bell
Pomegranate, golden bell
Pomegranate (Exodus 28:34) / These are the finials
That were dedicated by Signor
Michael the son of Signor
Jacob Goralshvilli
And his wife Signora Esther the daughter of Haham Ribi
A sign for the elevation of
The souls]

[Trans: The fifth and sixth niches comprise a dedicatory text: These bells and finials are pledged by Michael, son of Yaakov Goralshvilli and his wife Esther, daughter of Haham Ribi, for the elevation of their souls. Yaakov Goralshvilli’s date of death: 10 Heshvan, 5656 (corresponding to October 28, 1895.)

FINIAL .1 – NICHE F

\ בה
\ הניפטרים
\ (ס)"י יעקב נ"ו שוילי
\ שנת תרנו לפ"ק
\ נחדש חשון
\ בעשיריבו

[trans: Blessed is the Name
Of the deceased
Signor Jacob Goralshvilli
In the year 5656
In the month of Cheshvan
On the tenth]

FINIAL .2 - NICHE A

\ ב"ה
\ כתר תורה
\ וזאת התורה
\ אשר שם משה
\ לפני בני ישראל
\ תורה צוה לנו
\ מ(ש)ה מורשה
\ קהילת יעקב
\ חזק

[trans.: Blessed is the Name
Crown of Torah (Ethics of the Fathers 4:13)
And this is the Torah
Which Moses set
Before the Children of Israel (Deut. 4:44)
Torah was commanded to us
By Moses, an inheritance
of the congregation of Jacob (Deut. 33:4)
Be strong!]

[Note: The “Crown of Torah” is an expression from Ethics of the Fathers 4:13: Crown of Torah, crown of priesthood, crown of sovereignty; the crown of a good name exceeds them all. This verse continues on the top lines of most niches of the finials.

FINIAL .2 – NICHE B

ב''ה
כתר כהונה
אנכי לא תרצח
לא יהיה לא תנאף
לא תשא לא תגנב
זכור את לא תענה
כבד את לא תחמד
בסימנא
טבא

[trans.: Blessed is the Name
Crown of priesthood (Ethics of the Fathers 4:13)
I [am the Lord] / Thou shalt not murder
You shall not have [other gods] / Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not take [the name of the Lord] / Thou shalt not steal
Remember [the Sabbath Day] / Thou shalt not bear false witness
Honor [your father and mother] / Thou shalt not covet
With a good sign

[This niche bears the initial word(s) of each of the Ten Commandments. Interestingly, the engraving is meant to mimic the placement of the Hebrew words on the original tablets, that is, two columns of five commandments, side by side.]

FINIAL .2 – NICHE C

\ כב"ר
\ אבג יתצ
\ קרע שטן
\ נגד יכש
\ בטר צתג
\ חקב טנע
\ יגל פזק
\ שקו צית
\ בשנ מלו

[Note: These letters comprise the forty-two letter Divine Name. This sacred name is referenced in Talmudic texts as only entrusted to those who display pious character. This name, along with other mystical names of God recur on silver Torah accessories, especially of Jews in the Sephardic lands, where physical Torah scroll was believed to possess magical power. A group of Persian finials as well as a group from Georgia are particularly rich in such inscriptions.]

FINIAL .2 – NICHE D

\ ב"ה
\ כתר שם
\ טוב עולה על
\ גביהן בן פרת
\ יוסף בן פרת
\ עלי עין בנות
\ צעדה עלי
\ שור

[trans.: Blessed is the Name
Crown of a good name
Exceeds them all. (Ethics of the Fathers 4:13)
A charming son
is Joseph; a son charming
to the eye; [of the] women,
[each one] strode along
to see him. (Genesis 49:22)

[Note: Some finials from Sephardic lands are engraved with biblical verses associated with dispelling the force of the evil eye. The above verse is an example of this trend. It is based on the Talmudic text in Tractate Berakhot (20a) that states not to read עלי עין as 'ale 'ayin, but 'ole 'ayin,’ literally, “rising above the evil eye.”]

FINIAL .2 – NICHE E

\ ב"ה
\ פעמון זהב
\ ורמון פעמון זהב
\ ורכין זאת הרימונים
\ הקדישו סיניור
\ מיכאל בר סיניור
\ יעקב גורלי שולי
\ ואשתו (ס)"י א(ס)תר
\ בת חכם ריבי
\ סימן לעילוהי
\ :הנשמות

[trans.: Blessed is the Name
Golden bell
Pomegranate, golden bell
Pomegranate (Exodus 28:34) / These are the finials
That were dedicated by Signor
Michael the son of Signor
Jacob Goralshvilli
And his wife Signora Esther the daughter of Haham Ribi
A sign for the elevation of
The souls]

[Trans: The fifth and sixth niches comprise a dedicatory text: These bells and finials are pledged by Michael, son of Yaakov Goralshvilli and his wife Esther, daughter of Haham Ribi, for the elevation of their souls. Yaakov Goralshvilli’s date of death: 10 Heshvan, 5656 (corresponding to October 28, 1895.)

FINIAL .2 – NICHE F

\ בה
\ הניפטרים
\ ס"י יעקב ג"ו שוילי
\ שנת תרנו לפ"ק
\ בחדש חשון
\ : בעשירי בו

[trans: Blessed is the Name
Of the deceased
Signor Jacob Goralshvilli
In the year 5656
In the month of Cheshvan
On the tenth]

Marking: Maker's mark: AM and date 1895

Michael Steinhardt , New York (until 2013) ; [ their sale, Sotheby's, New York , April 29, 2013, lot 290; to MMA ]