Bidspirit auction | Beit Hillel. The Copy of

Beit Hillel. The Copy of the Divine Kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Mizrachi Sharabi, Bearing His Rare and Ornate Autograph Signature - Beit Hillel. Commentary on Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah, by Rabbi Hillel ben Rabbi Naftali Hertz. Printed by Rabbi Shabbetai Meshorer Bass, author of Siftei Chachamim. Dyhernfurth, 1691. One of the foundational works for the study of the Shulchan Aruch, printed together with the text of the Shulchan Aruch itself. The author, Rabbi Hillel ben Rabbi Naftali Hertz (1615–1691), studied Torah under his uncle, Rabbi Heshel of Krakow. He served as a dayan in the court of Rabbi Moshe Lima, author of Chelkat Mechokek, and around 1670 assumed the rabbinate of Hamburg; his position as dayan was then filled by the Shach — Rabbi Shabbetai HaKohen. Rabbi Hillel later moved to Zolkva, where he served as rabbi until his passing. Autograph signatures of the Rashash are exceedingly rare, particularly his ornate and flourished signatures. On the title page of the present copy appears the rare and elaborate autograph signature of Rabbi Shalom Mizrachi Sharabi — the holy Rashash. Rabbi Shalom Mizrachi Sharabi, known as the Rashash (c. 1720–1777), was one of the greatest kabbalists of his generation. Born in Sharab, Yemen, he immigrated to Jerusalem in his youth via Bombay, Basra, Baghdad, and Damascus. At first he concealed his mastery of Kabbalah; once his stature became known, his teacher Rabbi Gedaliah Chayon appointed him to succeed him as head of the kabbalistic academy Beit El in Jerusalem. The Chida wrote of him: “A singular holy man in our generation, an extraordinary kabbalist, who nearly knew the Etz Chaim by heart, expert in the introductions in their proper order; through his vast knowledge and wisdom he established the intentions of the Arizal in their correct structure and halachic order, and composed a major treatise, Rechovot HaNahar, to clarify and elucidate the introductions properly… He directed all the intentions of the Arizal… and performed the mystical unifications as written by our master the Arizal in Sha’ar Ruach HaKodesh” (Shem HaGedolim, entry Shin). Among his foremost disciples were the Chida, Maharit Algazi, Rabbi Avraham Gershon of Kitov (brother-in-law of the Baal Shem Tov), Rabbi Chaim de la Rosa, and others. An additional ownership signature appears: that of the kabbalist Rabbi Mas’ud HaKohen Elchadad. [1], 134 leaves. 28.5 cm. Good condition. Age staining. Minor worming. Some running headers trimmed on a few leaves. Magnificent new leather binding.