"Shoresh Yishay" by the Author of the Lecha Dodi prayer- Rav Shlomo Alkabetz. Notations from the time-period ...

"Shoresh Yishay" by the Author of the Lecha Dodi prayer- Rav Shlomo Alkabetz. Notations from the time-period of the printing. First Print. Constantinople 5321 [1561]

Sefer Shoresh Yishay- lengthy commentary on Megillas Rus, by the great Rav Shlomo Alkabetz.

Rav Shlomo ben Moshe Alkabetz, from a family expelled from Spain during the period of the Spanish Inquisition. One of the great kabbalists of Tzefas and author of the famous Lecha Dodi prayer, recited by Jews all over the world.

It is told that Rav Alkabetz learned together with the Beis Yosef (Rav Yosef Karo) on the night of Shavous, and a "maggid" from Heaven revealed himself to them. Rav Shlomo Alkabetz tells the following (which is brought down in the Shla): ' Our creator has given us the merit, and the voice spoken from the mouth of the chassid (Rav Yosef Karo) was heard, a loud voice, pronunciated clearly, and all the neighbors would hear it and did not understand. And its pleasantness was great, and the voice became stronger and stronger, and we fell upon our faces and no man had the spirit to lift up his eyes and face, to see, due to the great awe and fear'.

Passed away in Tzefas, around 5343.

In the sefer are notations from two different writers, from the time-period of the sefer's printing: A number of notations in Sephardic writing and a number of notations, erasures and corrections in Italian writing.

The sefer was published in a new edition in 5753, with additions which, according to those who published this new edition, were taken from the author's handwriting. All the additions and corrections in Italian writing in this here version- also appear in the handwriting which the publisher of the new edition used.

The publisher of the new edition included a photograph of the author's notations, in the beginning of the new-edition-sefer (attached here are the photographs). We, here, at Tzfunot are of the opinion that the notations which appear in the photograph are not actually in the handwriting of Rav Shlomo Alkabetz, but rather the handwriting of someone who copied over Rav Alkabetz's writing- seemingly he copied it over from Rav Alkabetz's own handwriting. Also, the notations in the photograph are in Italian writing, which as far as we know, Rav Alkabetz did not use, as he lived in Tzefas.

However, there is no doubt that the notations' and corrections' source- are definitely that of the author.

Constantinople 5321 [1561] First edition. 96 pages. 19 cm. At end of sefer are indexes, by the son of the author. Margin restorations on first five pages; good condition; bound in half-leather new binding. Extremely rare.

יערי, Hadfus HaIvri Bekushta #163