Auction 8
Lot 468:
Letter written entirely in the holy hand of the Ish HaElokin, Rabbeinu Yaakov Abukhatzira, sent to his friend HaRav Amur Abutbul. The content of the letter is on a few important topics, it is peppered with phrases taken from the Bible and the Talmud. The Abir Yaakov begins with rhymed praises, drishot shalom to him and his family. He apologizes for the delay in answers the Rav Abutbul’s questions. For most of the letter, he delves deeply into the issue of treifut, as there was a disagreement (makhloket) between his city and Fez, about which he was written to beforehand that “all of the animals that we slaughtered that day, we asked the owners what had hit them and they said that they had been in a place where most of the animals had died.” He references the Shulchan Aruch and Beit Yosef on the issue of checking the lungs. The letter is written on 2 pages, 30 handwritten lines per page. On the first page, the lines are written vertically, at the end of the letter is the rare, flowery signature of the Abir Yaakov—“the young Yaakov Abuhatzira. On the exterior side of the letter are added three lines, handwritten, by Amur Abutbul. It seems these lines by the Abir Yaakov were never printed. There is an additional list of names written much later. To the letter is attached the famous picture of the Abir Yaakov, on a rare postcard. Size 14cm, excellent condition. Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzira: learned regarding miracles, served alongside the known personalities of North African Judaism, he was well known across Morocco, his name is linked with trembling before G-d, he is described because of his famous picture as the “Mekubal HaEloki.” He was born in Tefilalat (Morocco) in 1806, known as Abir Yaakov, grandfather of the Admor the Baba Sali, compiled many books on the pshat and on Kabbalah, such as Petukhei Hotem, Machshof HaLavan, Ma’aglei Tzedek, Elef Bina, and more. Rav Amur bar Shlomo Abutbul, was one of the sages and dayanim of Morocco, born in Sefrou in 1780, the Abir Yaakov lavished praise upon him (as described in this letter), and when he would travel to Sefrou from his home he would stay at Rav Abutbul’s house; Abutbul wrote many chiddushim and exegese on the Torah. Letter size 16x22cm, good condition. Tiny holes in the center of the page, light damage to 2 letters because of them. Signs of folding.
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