Bidspirit auction | Or Li – One of

Or Li – One of the Earliest and Rarest Works of the Author of the Sdei Chemed | Published Anonymously | First Edition - Or Li, responsa by Rabbi Chizkiyah Medini, author of the Sdei Chemed. Smyrna (Izmir), 1874. First edition. A rare and scarcely encountered volume of responsa, among the earliest works of Rabbi Chizkiyah Medini, published anonymously by the author himself. Although he omitted his name from the title page, he alluded to it in a subtle manner: the book contains exactly 136 responsa, corresponding to the numerical value (gematria) of the name Chizkiyahou (136). The name “Chaim, ” which was added to him following a serious illness, is not reflected in this allusion, indicating that the work was published before that addition. In his moving introduction, the author recounts the tragic loss of his only son and describes how he found consolation through Torah study and the recording of his scholarly insights. These personal reflections lend the work a unique and poignant character, illuminating a significant chapter in the life of one of the foremost Sephardic halachic authorities of the modern era. Rabbi Chizkiyah Medini (1832–1904) later achieved lasting renown as one of the greatest halachic authorities and bibliographic scholars of his generation through his monumental encyclopedia, Sdei Chemed, which became one of the foundational reference works of rabbinic literature. His early publications, particularly those issued anonymously, are considerably rarer than his later works and are highly sought after by collectors and scholars of Sephardic rabbinic history. The volume is adorned with the approbation of Rabbi Yosef Tomarkin, Rabbi of Kremenchug and one of the notable Chabad rabbis of his generation, as well as approbations from the rabbis of Smyrna, reflecting the high esteem in which the author was already held in his youth. [3], 147 leaves. 31 cm. Good condition. A few isolated wormholes. Simple binding.