Sefer Semichat Chachamim on Tractate Berachot, by the Kabbalist Rabbi Naftali HaCohen Katz, Rabbi of Frankfurt am Main. [The entire sefer is titled Semichat Chachamim, The first part – a long kabbalistic "introduction" – is titled Birkat Hashem on the title page, and the second part of the novellae on Tractate Berachot is name Kedusha U’Vracha].
Frankfurt am Main, [1704-1706]. First edition
The two compositions have very special elaborate woodcut illustrated title pages. On the second leaf, an impressive illustration with a poem written by the author about the "happenings and events" he had experienced. The poem is shaped like a star. Under the poem, commentary on it by the author. On the page after it, the poem is printed as usual.
Printed in the lifetime of the author – the celebrated kabbalist R. Naftali Katz (1650-1719), a renowned Ashkenazi kabbalist. Rabbi of Ostroh, Posen and Frankfurt am Main. From his youth, he already conducted himself with awesome holiness and outstanding diligence and knew the entire Talmud by heart. Immediately after his marriage, he was appointed head of the Ostroh Yeshiva and at the age of 30, was appointed Rabbi of the eminent city of Ostroh and all the Ukrainian districts. In 1689, he relocated to Posen to serve in its rabbinate. At that time, at the young age of 40, he was appointed leader of Va’ad Arba Aratzot, the highest Torah position in all Ashkenazi countries and in Poland.
In 1704, he was appointed Rabbi of Frankfurt am Main, the center of Torah study in Germany. After the great fire which broke out in Frankfurt am Main in 1711, he was forced to flee the city (due to a libel that the fire broke out because of his dealing in practical kabbalah, hashba’ot and writing amulets). After various wanderings, he planned to settle in Eretz Israel, however upon arriving in Constantinople he became ill and died from his illness. His gravesite in Constantinople is until today a place of pilgrimage for prayer and salvation. [Reputedly, at the time the Ba’al Shem Tov reached Constantinople on his way to Eretz Israel, R. Naftali Katz appeared to him in a dream and revealed to him that he will not merit ascending to Eretz Israel just as he himself did not merit reaching Eretz Israel and died in Constantinople. This was the reason that the Ba’al Shem Tov turned back to his city of Medzhybizh].
79, [1], 140 Leaves. 31.9 cm.
Antique signatures: Yehuda Leib Bensheim; Itzik son of the true Gaon Moreinu Zanvil Katz.
Overall Great condition, quality pages, first few pages have marginal restorations, some marginal stains, later black cloth binding.
Share this lot: