Bidspirit auction | Leaf Handwritten by the Reish

Leaf Handwritten by the Reish Galuta of Bavel, the Ben Ish Chai. Segulah Leaf - Segulah: a leaf handwritten by Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim ben Eliyahu – the Ben Ish Chai of Baghdad. The manuscript contains a passage from a sermon about Hakhel et HaAm and the importance of attending the sage's sermon on Sabbath. Apparently, not published.  Approx 10x13cm. Written on both sides; on its verso, 3 lines only. Good overall condition. Rabbi Yosef Chaim - the Ben Ish Chai (1835-1909), was Rav of the entire Diaspora, one of the greatest leaders, Mekubalim and Poskim of all generations. Born in Baghdad to his father Rabbi Eliyahu [Rabbi Moshe Chaim - who is mentioned in the sermon before us.] At the age of only 14, he was accepted to the yeshiva of Rabbi Abdallah, who became his leading Rav. For over fifty years was the leader of the Jewish community of Baghdad, delivering sermons and answering questions. In his introduction to the book Rov Berachot, the author, Rabbi Yechezekel Moshe Halevi writes : ”If Rabbi Yosef Chaim tells me that right is Left and left  is the right, I will accept his words”. Indeed, Rabbeinu's many books which contain more than 100 works[!] earned a place of honor in the Jewish bookshelf. Not all  Rabbeinu's writings have been published and in recent years many institutes, especially the Ahavat Shalom Institute, have been working on publishing Rabbeinu's Divrei Torah and his many Piyyutim, the most famed of them being VeAmartem Koh Lechai in honor of the Tana Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Rabbeinu passed away in Elul 1909 and was laid to rest in Baghdad. It is generally accepted that because of Rabbeinu’s desire to immigrate to the Holy Land, he merited being brought to it after his passing. According to the Mekubalim of Jerusalem, the location of his grave is on the Mount of Olives.