Lot 405
Divrei Nechemya – Nechemya Hayun – Berlin, 1713
Divrei Nechemya, Midrashic and kabalistic novellae on the Torah, by Nechemya Chiya Hayun. Berlin, [1713].
On the title page, the word Amsterdam is in large bold letters. At the beginning of the book are approbations by Rabbi David Oppenheim of Prague, Rabbi Gavriel Leib [Eshkeles] Av Beit Din of Nikolsburg, Rabbi Aharon Av Beit din of Berlin and Rabbi Yehuda Leib ben Rabbi Moshe of Głogów.
The author of the book, Nechemya Chiya Hayun (c. 1651-1730), was a scholar and a Shabtai Zvi kabalist, the most prominent Shabtai follower after Shabtai Zvi's death. When Hayun's books reached the Chacham Zvi during the time he served as Rabbi of Amsterdam, he detected words of heresy and the Shabtai philosophy so he decreed a ban on his books and on the author and firmly opposed him. Moshe Hagiz joined the Chacham Zvi in his war against Hayun and they both suffered from persecution by Hayun's supporters in Amsterdam. Hayum used falsehood and deceit to receive the approbations for his books. He used an approbation which he received from Rabbi David Oppenheim for this book, also for his Shabtai-kabbalistic book Oz Le'Elokim together with an approbation which he received from Rabbi Naftali Katz. Later, both Rabbi Oppenheim and Rabbi Katz announced that their approbations are nullified, but Hayum refused to return them. The two publicized their renunciation of their approbations in the book Milchama LaHashem Cherev La by Rabbi Moshe Chagiz (Amsterdam 1614).
Stamps: "Chaim ben Avraham Avli of Ciechanowiec 1736" and "Ya'akov Leib Rosenblum of Ciechanowiec".
[2], 89 [should be 87] leaves, 18 cm. Fair condition. Spotting. Worm holes. Cutoff margins. Tears to title page and to last leaf (with damage to text). Title page is reinforced with paper.
