Auction 27
Lot 039:
The book Semichat Chachamim by the kabbalist Rabbi Naftali Hacohen, av beit din of Frankfurt am Main, two parts. The first part is called Birkat Hashem, and is an introduction of Semichat Chachamim on the kabbalah, printed in 1704. The second part is called Kedusha V’Bracha – novaelle on tractate Brachot. Printed in 1706. First edition, printed during the author’s lifetime. 79 leaves. [1], 140 leaves. The title page of the first part is missing, without a front cover and spine, several leaves are detached, worming holes, tears in the margins, moderate overall condition. Rabbi Naftali Hacohen Katz son of Rabbi Yitzchak (1650 – 1719). One of the foremost kabbalists in Europe. He was rabbi and rosh yeshiva in several important cities – Ostrog, Posna and Frankfurt am Main. From a young age he acted with sanctity and was seen studying Torah with tremendous diligence, and even learned the entire Talmud by heart. At the young age of thirty he was appointed as rabbi of the important city of Ostrog and the entire region of the Ukraine. He later moved to serve as rabbi of Posna and was even appointed as the head of the Council of the Four Lands – the foremost religious position at the time, all when was only forty. In 1704 he served as rabbi of Frankfurt am Main, the Torah capital of Germany. He remained in this position until the great fire of 1711, when he was forced to flee from the city. After his many wanderings, he greatly desired to immigrate to the Land of Israel, but when he reached Constantinople on his way to Israel, he became ill and died. Legend relates that when the Ba’al Shem Tov arrived in Constantinople on his famous journey to the Land of Israel, Rabbi Naftali appeared to him in a dream and revealed to him that he will not manage to complete his journey, just as he himself did not succeed, and the Ba’al Shem Tov therefore went back to Medzhybizh.
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