Auction 15
Lot 241:
Sefer Ben Yehoyada, noavelle on Talmudic addagot. One volume which contains: Part four [on tractates: Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah, Kiddushin and the three Babot], and part five [on tractates: Sanhedrin, Makkot, Shavuot, Avodah Zara, Horayot, Zevachim, Menachot, Chulin, Bechorot, Archin and Nidda]. A separate title page for each part, in gilded ink. By Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad – the ‘Ben Ish Chai’ [1835-1909]. On the back of the books’ title page is a separate leaf “Moda’ah Rabba” from the author, with commemorations and praises about the philanthropists: “who donated toward the printing of this book”. The book was printed in the Frumikn printing press – Jerusalem. Even though the Ben Ish Chai lived in Baghdad, his custom was to send his books for printing in Jerusalem and not to print them in Livorno (which would have significantly reduced the printing costs), in order to provide work for the Jews of Jerusalem, to encourage the Jews of the Old Yishuv and to express his view of Jerusalem’s importance and sanctity. On the top of the first page is written in oriental handwriting: “A good gift from the great Rabbi and luminary to the students of the yeshiva for the Bavlim in Jerusalem” and within the book are dozens of stamps of the “Shoshanim L’David” yeshiva. The ‘Ben Ish Chai’ used to teach classes in “Ein Yaakov” and he compiled the novaelle which he came up with during the classes into the 5 part Ben Yehoyada book, which is famous worldwide. Rabbi Yosef Chaim was very active in making the Torah accessible to all parts of the population. The Jews of Baghdad, who knew the Ben Ish Chai, greatly revered him. They considered him to be an angel. So much so that they said: If the Ben Ish Chai had lived during the time of the Temple it would not have been destroyed, because the Jewish people would have listened to him. In his time no Jews publicly desecrated Shabbat. When he died, over one hundred thousand people attended his funeral. He had a decisive influence on the Jews of Iraq, as well as those in India, Persia, Syria, and the Sephardi congregations in the Land of Israel. [2] 111; [2] leaves. 32 cm. Original cardboard binding, partially detached. Overall condition: very good.
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