Bidspirit auction | Handwritten Signature of the Gaon

Handwritten Signature of the Gaon Rabbeinu Chaim Palachi Av Beit Din of Izmir on the Book of His Grandfather and Rav Rabbi Raphael Yosef Chazan: SEfer Chikrei Lev - Salonika, 1817 - Extremely rare! First edition of SEfer Chikrei Lev - Choshen Mishpat Section I - by the Gaon Rabbi Raphael Yosef Chazan, Rabbi Chaim Palachi's grandfather - Salonika, 1817.  Pedigreed and Mekudash! Appearing on the title page of the book is the signature of the author's grandson, the famed Gaon, rabbi Chaim Palachi Av Beit Din of Izmir. Rabbi Chaim was his grandfather's loyal disciple. In his books, Rabbi Chaim frequently quotes his grandfather's words. When Rabbi Palachi was 25 years old, he received Semichat Chachamim from his grandfather in a memorable ceremony in the synagogue of his town. For the ceremony, the Chikrei Lev bought his grandson a special robe which he wore during the ceremony.  It well may be that this is a copy that the author himself gave his beloved grandson and disciple.  Additonal signatures:  ”יעקב בכ”ר משה יעב”ץ” author of Tzur Yaakov, ”דוד אלגאזי”  and more.  [2], 275 leaves.  New binding. Moth damage. The title page is mounted on paper for reinforcement. Wear affecting the text of the first leaves. Fair condition.  The Gaon Rabbi Chaim Palachi (1788-1868) one of the greatest contemporary Mekubalim and Poskim, and the crown jewel of authors throughout the generations, having authored over eighty fundamental works in his lifetime, covering Halacha, Minhag, Torah, and the Shas. He received rabbinic Semicha from his grandfather, the author of the Chikrei Lev, who called him ”the perfect sage.” Most of his manuscripts were tragically burned in the great fire of Izmir, but he managed to rewrite his vast Torah output from the depths of his phenomenal memory. He served for many years as the Av Beit Din of Izmir, with all the various communities in the city accepting his rulings without question. Rabbeinu's influence extended far beyond his rabbinical region, and he answered thousands of inquiries, reaching as far as the Far Eastern countries, Europe, and Africa.