Bidspirit auction | Da'at Kedoshim by Rabbi Raphael

Da'at Kedoshim by Rabbi Raphael Av Beit Din of Ah”u. First Edition, Altona 1796. - Sefer Da'at Kedoshim - derushim in halachah and aggadah by the famed gaon Rabbi Raphael Ziskind HaKohen Katz, known as ”Rabbi Raphael Hamburger” - one of the leading rabbis of his generation and rabbi of the Ah”u communities (Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek). First edition, printed by the author himself. Altona, 1796. Rabbi Raphael Ziskind Cohen Katz [1723–1804]. Renowned rabbi and leader of the AHU communities — Altona, Hamburg, and Wandsbek — and one of the most prominent rabbinic figures of his generation. Disciple of both the Vilna Gaon (Gra) and the Shaagat Aryeh, he succeeded the latter as Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of Minsk. His greatness in Torah and personal piety were widely recognized and admired. Leading Chassidic figures sought to draw him closer to the Chassidic movement. They even sent Rabbi Zusha of Anipoli to bring him to the Maggid of Mezeritch. Rabbi Raphael encountered the Maggid’s spiritual greatness, but out of deep respect for his teacher, the Gra, he chose not to continue traveling to the Maggid — though Chassidic tradition adds that he also ceased traveling to the Gra afterward. Rabbi Raphael was also a fierce opponent of the Haskalah movement in Germany, vocally and actively defending traditional Judaism. Works: Aside from the present sefer in question, Shu”t V’shav HaKohen, Marpeh Lashon,   Torat Yekutiel – a polemical work that provoked sharp opposition from the Maskilim, who anonymously responded with a satirical critique titled ”Mitzpeh Yekutiel”. Rabbi Raphael Ziskind Cohen remains a towering figure in 18th-century rabbinic leadership, standing at the crossroads of Lithuanian Torah tradition, early Chassidic outreach, and the cultural-political challenges of Enlightenment-era Europe.  [2] ,   82, Leaves. 20.2 cm