Sacred and Awesome: Manuscript by the Shl"ah HaKadosh - Autograph of his Sefer Bigdei Yesha

Sacred and Awesome: Manuscript by the Shl"ah HaKadosh - Autograph of his Sefer Bigdei Yesha

"I have the sacred signature of Yeshayah Segal Horowitz ... his praise and sanctity are internationally acclaimed ... wonder of wonders, distinguished and sacred ..."  (The Chid"a in Shem HaGedolim, praising his fortune at having the Shla"h's manuscript in his possession)

Sacred and awesome manuscript, spanning two pages [close to 500 words], written in magnificent Ashkenazic script, handwritten by the gadol hadorot Rabbeinu Yeshayah HaLevi Horowitz, known as 'HaShla"h HaKadosh.' Autograph of his sefer, Bigdei Yesha, which is printed in Talmudic volumes to this day. Autograph script, including erasures and revisions. [Late 16th century.]

These pages include the Shla"h's chiddushim on Tractate Shabbat. A sacred shiver runs up one's spine when touching these sacred gevillim, upon which the Shla"h wrote his insights on the gemara, in his own penmanship. As is known, the Shla"h was one of the four gedolei Yisrael for whom the Jewish people added the title "HaKadosh" to his name. [The others were: the Ar"i HaKadosh, the Or HaChaim HaKadosh and the Alshich HaKadosh.]

Sefer Bigdei Yesha contains elucidations of the Shla"h on "The Mordechai." The sefer was printed for the first time in Amsterdam in 1757, and since the printing of the Vilna Shas, the work was inserted into Talmudic volumes, on the sheets with the work HaMordechai. In his sefer Shnei Luchot HaBrit, the Shla"h mentions this work several times. His son, Rabbi Sheftel, also mentions it in his Sefer Vavei HaAmudim, and he writes about it that "It is a great and awesome work."

Regarding this manuscript, Rabbi Avraham HaLevi Horowitz, the Shla"h's grandson, writes in his sefer Emek Brachah (second printing, Amsterdam 1729) who had the manuscript in his possession: "Said Avraham son of the great gaon Rabbi Yeshayahu Segal ztz"l Horowitz, I found in our satchel a manuscript by my paternal grandfather, the great gaon, the pious and famed Rabbi Yeshayah Segal ztz"l, author of Shnei Luchot HaBrit, " a great and awesome work on the rabbi, the Mordechai."

It is interesting to note that on page [2] in the manuscript that each place, by the initially-written word "gemara, " the sacred author crossed it out, and wrote under it, "Talmud" or 'Sha"s, ' apparently out of concern for the censor.

We will conclude with the sacred words of Rabbi Yoel Sirkis, the 'Ba"ch, ' who wrote about the extent of the greatness of the Shla"h and his writings: "The sacred gaon Rabbi Yeshayahu HaLevi ztz"l ... he left behind a blessing in his sacred writings, and when we see and read them, we feel the influence of the lofty and sacred virtues in all our limbs, and this is the sign that his words are written for the sake of Heaven, to rectify the future generations ..."

[1] leaf paper, written on both sides. Approximately 20x17 cm.

Fine-very fine condition. Aging stains. Professional restoration of the margins. Placed in a magnificent leather binding.

Confirmation of originality included, signed by Yosef Aviv"i, bibliographer and Kabbalah researcher in Yad Yitzchak Ben-Tzvi in Jerusalem.