A historical discovery: an autograph copy of the Pesach Haggadah with a kabbalistic commentary written by the ...

A historical discovery: an autograph copy of the Pesach Haggadah with a kabbalistic commentary written by the Ma’ari Yehi ben Shlomo Avich the First, who disappeared. Sanaa, Yemen, 18/19th century

Pesach Haggadah with halachot and an unknown commentary steeped in halacha, handwritten in an especially nice manner by the Ma’ari Yehi ben Shlomo Avich. Organized, pretty handwriting. At the end of the colophon is a handwritten signature of the Maari Yehi, son of Shlomo Avich, whose writings have until now never appeared. He quotes from the commentary of the Maharitz in his commentary, as well as Chemdat Yamim of Rabbi Shalom Shabazi and more. Names of two unknown members of the Araki family are mentioned in the manuscript: “I saw in a manuscript of Rabbi Avraham HaKohen Araki ben Rabbi Shlomo HaKohen…”.

Maari Yehi ben Shlomo Avich (the first) was born in 1766, probably in Sanaa. In 1818, upon the death of dayan Mari Yosef Nakash, he replaced him as dayan at the beit din of Mari Yosef Kara. He dealt a lot with kabbalah, grammar. In 1833 he joined a representative of Rabbi Yisrael of Shklov, the Shadar Rabbi Baruch of Pinsk, on a journey through northeastern Yemen looking for the Ten Tribes, but it didn’t go well. In 1836 he left Sanaa because of a heavy famine and plague which spread through the city, and since then every trace of him disappeared—he perhaps died that year. A different tradition claims that he did not return from his trip with the Shadar of Pinsk. See more in: Encyclopedia of Yemenite Sages, p. 4-5. Sa’arat Teiman p. 25-27. This is a rare and important manuscript, probably from the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century. 16x10cm. 65 written pages. Stains and wear, overall good condition.