Auction 65
Lot 30:
Basic book: Midrash Rabba on Sefer Shemot with the Yeffeh Toar commentary by Rabbi Shmuel Yaffe Ashkenazi – first edition, Venice 1657. [4], 102, 102-130, [1], 130-225, 224-246, 254-256, [1] leaves. The last leaf was misplaced in the binding. Tears affecting the text of the title page and many other leaves. Taping, Stains. Moth perforations and damage. Fair-poor condition. Old and worn binding with taping.
Appearing on the title page is the signature of Rabbi Moshe Galanti, the leader of the rabbis of Eretz Yisrael and the Rishin LeZion: לימ"א המג"ן יג"ן. On leaf 89, a gloss of 10 lines handwritten by him. It too is signed "המגן יג"ן".
HaRav HaMagen Rabbi Moshe Galanti (1620-1689) author of Zevach Hashlamim and Korban Chagiga, grandson of Rabbi Moshe Galanti the first and son of Rabbi Jonathan Galanti. He was born in Safed and was educated by its rabbis, then moved to Jerusalem where he was soon recognized as one of its greatest rabbis. The Jerusalem of those days was a city full of sages and scribes, and all of them voted unanimously to appoint him the head of the community. But Rabbeinu did not agree to accept the title of Rav – implying he is greater than others, but the title of "HaRishon LeZion", that is, equal to others yet the first on the list. Thus, he became the first one to be titled the Rishon LeZion. The Chida said that the verse "נחית כצאן עמך ביד משה ואהרן" refers to Rabbeinu and to Rabbi Aharon Pardo.
There is a famed story about Rabbeinu, appearing in the Ben Ish Chai. In those years Jerusalem suffered a terrible drought. The Pasha threatened the Jewish community that if they failed to make it rain with their prayer, he would expel them from the city. Rabbeinu ordered the Jews to put on coats and go to the cave of Shimon Hatzaddik to pray. Miraculously, during their prayer service, it started raining.
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