Rare manuscript from the mid-17th century, four handwritten pages from the kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Shabazi (Abba Shalom Shabazi), who is revered by Yemenite Jewry, from his work Chemdat Yamim.
[4] pages, 21cm. Repaired professionally.
Rabbi Shalom Shabazi (1619-1686?) was a great poet of Yemenite Jewry. His father passed away when he was a boy of about fifteen years, and had to bear the burden of earning a living in order to support his family. During his wanderings he came to the city of Sana’a where he studied Torah from the sages of Sana’a, this is reflected in his songs in which he praises the Yeshiva of the Sages of Sana’a. He then established his seat in the city of "Shabaz" near Ta’az, hence his nickname Al-Shabazi as he writes in his book Hemdat Yamim, “I the young author Shalem ben Rabbi Yosef Yisrael, known by my family’s name from Mashta and the name of my city Al-Shabazi.” He did a lot of practical Kabbalah and was well versed in the wisdom, already in his youth the Ruach HaKodesh pulsated in him and he began to compose songs and piyyutim, all saturated with longing for the redemption of the people of Israel from his exile. Rabbi Shalom worked for the sake of his people, which is why he was lovingly called by the Yemenite Jews – Abba Shalom. In his singing and piyyutim he expressed the love between Gd and the Knesset of Israel, and most of them referenced the wisdom of the nistar, and all was a sacred song. His poems were a source of soul outpouring and spiritual transcendence of all Yemenite Jewry, in times of joy and chas v’ even in times of sorrow.
His works include Chemdat Yamim on the Torah (kabbalistically), and Goral HaChol (Sod HaNekudah).
