Bidspirit auction | Bnei Yehuda, Rabbi Yehuda Iyash

Bnei Yehuda, Rabbi Yehuda Iyash - Livorno, 1758 - First Edition - Signatures of the Rabbis of Libya - Author's Responsa Regarding Vows - Bnei Yehuda, which is ”Lechem Yehuda” part two – novaelle on the Rambam and words of the early and later Sages, ”Beit Yehuda” part two – responsa, and at the end a booklet ”Ot Brit” on the great level of Brit Mila. By Rabbi Yehuda Iyash. Livorno, 1758. First edition. In this book are seven responsa from Rabbi Malachi HaCohen author of ”Yad Malachi”, with a halachic responsa from Rabbi Chaim ben Atar author of the ”Or HaChaim”. In his introduction the author explains the reason for writing the booklet ”Ot Brit”: ”The beautiful city of Livorno…and when I arrived I saw upright customs which the eye sees and the heart desires, their inheritance from their forefathers, this is the symbol of the covenant [Ot Brit] the circumcision which everyone does with fear and trembling and with great love and embellishments of the commandment…those who are eager start early to keep and to do the commandment as commanded in holiness and purity, in song and rejoicing…with enthusiastic longing and with tremendous desire and great enthusiasm they gladden G-d and people…the Mohel and the Sandak reach out their hands to give to the father of the child, if he is poor, all that he is lacking…and when I beheld this great wonder with my own eyes and saw what this commandment is and the reason for it I was awakened to arrange its great level and treasure…”. After years in which the author served as a Rabbi and Av Beit Din in Algeria, new winds began to blow within the Jews ”and today there are many who rebel who dare to oppose him and his decrees and customs”, and in his great sorrow he made a severe vow before G-d and the Rabbis which can never be annulled ”to leave his dwelling place and the dwelling place of his fathers and to immigrate to the Land of Israel, to dwell in the tent of Torah in the holy city of Jerusalem”. The members of his congregation, who greatly admired him, tried to change his mind, and made efforts to persuade him not to abandon his flock. Even though he did not want to listen to their pleas, out of his great love for the Land of Israel and his yearnings for it, he was forced to submit against his will and not to leave Algeria as ”it was a time of wars in the sea and on land and the roads were full of soldiers and are considered dangerous”. And he remained there for a known time. In the last responsum of this book the author discusses this vow of his at great length, about his difficulties and his deliberations. At the end of the responsum: ”A letter of apology” with the signature of five of the Rabbis of Algeria. There is special importance to this ”letter of apology” to confirm that he was unable to uphold his vow in order to remove slanderous lips. However, after serving for 28 years in the Rabbinate of Algeria the author left, and immigrated to the Land of Israel via Livorno, where he learned Torah night and day in the ”Knesset Yisrael” synagogue, which was founded by the author of the ”Or HaChaim”. On the book's title page is the signature of Rabbi Yaakov Rokeach of Tripoli (1800-1891), the great-grandson of Rabbi Massoud Chai Rokeach the author of ”Ma'aseh Rokeach” on the Rambam. Wrote 14 books from which his great expertise and genius in Torah are apparent. Had halachic discussions with the great Rabbis of the generation, Rabbi Chaim Palagi, Rabbi Avraham Chaim Adadi and others. Additional inscription and signature of Rabbi Chaim David Kalifi, a 19th century scholar from Tripoli, author of the book ”Oreach L'Chaim” in manuscript form. His Torah thoughts were printed in the book ”Ma'ateh Eliyahu” (Livorno, 1857). A gloss in his handwriting (slightly cut off). 8, 218 leaves. Condition: Good-fair. Moth holes.