Sefer Sha’ar Yosef on Tractate Horayot by the Gaon Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai, the Chida.
This book is the first of the many books by the Chida that was published, authored by him at the age of 17 years only. First Edition, Livorno 1756. 16 pp. 120, 40 leaves. In the National Library, the book appears in the Rare Book Collection.
On pages 3-4: a printed dedication by the author to Michael Ferrera de Leon, in Spanish. On pages 5-6: a printing license by the leaders of the Livorno community, August 1756. The second part of this book is a Shut by the author. Since the author was a revered figure in Eretz Yisrael and abroad, the book was approbated by many leading rabbis, including the rabbis of Jerusalem, Hebron, Livorno, Amsterdam, Egypt and more.
Moth damage. Stains and fungus stains. Old binding with leather spune, worn. Some taping and other blemishes. Good overall condition.
On the title page, 3 signatures of Rabbi Shmuel Heller [see below] and an additional one on the last leaf. Completion of leaf 98 handwritten by him and an additional lengthy notation on the back flyleaf.
Additional signatures of
Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Hacohen Feinstein, one of the sages of Safed and a Shadar of Kollel HaChassidim of Safed who travelled, among others, to Yemen and India, where he published his books.
The Gaon Rabbi Shmuel Heller (1803-1884) was the Rav of Safed and a leader of the Ashkenazic community there for more than 40 years. He was the great-grandson of Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller, author of the Tosfot Yom Tov, and his grandfather Rabbi Avraham Peretz was a follower of the Chozeh of Lublin. He immigrated to the Land of Israel and settled in Safed, becoming close to the Admor Rabbi Avraham Dov of Avritch (the Bat Ayin), whom he succeeded as Rav after his passing. He was considered a proficient healer using the flora of the country. He succeeded to rehabilitate Safed after its destruction by an earthquake. His grandson was the Admor of Toldot Aharon Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kahan.
