Manuscript, ledger of Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Abulafia, Tiberias emissary, recording his travels throughout Italy and France in 1819.
A full ledger written by Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Abulafia, during 1819 (Kislev-Tamuz), on his travels throughout the Jewish communities in Northern and Eastern Italy. These communities include: Ferrara, Bologna, Modena, Forli, Lugo, Pesaro, Senigallia, Ancona, Mantua (Mantua), Verona, Milano, Vercelli, Moncalvo, Casale Monferrato, Torino and other communities in Italian towns and villages. Rabbi C.S. Abulafia also visited French communities, primarily those situated near the Italian border: Nice, Marseille and Aix.
This ledger is of great historic interest, containing information regarding community life in Italy at the beginning of the 19th century. In this ledger, Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Abulafia meticulously recorded his travels and his visits to various communities, the people who hosted him, names of donors and other details.
Following are a few examples quoted from the ledger:
"From Lugo, on the way to Forli, I stayed with the brothers MeHazkenim for the first day of Chanuka 1819… From there to Pesaro" [8b].
"Senigallia… I was honored greatly and from that city, the wealthy Mr. Aharon Galiko came to meet me…with his entire lofty family…" [10].
"From Mantua to Milano is a three-day journey…and from Milano until Vercelli takes one and a half days…" [29a].
On his visit to Ancona, he mentions the local rabbi "The great luminary, greatest of the Sanhedrin, Rabbi Refaeli Yeshaya Azulai" - son of the Chida. [12a].
On Leaf [45] is a long list he wrote while in Venice with details of his activities to include donations to Tiberias in the city's regulations. He adds details of old regulations regarding the distribution of donations to Eretz Yisrael and about the portion allotted to Tiberias from those donations. Among other things, he mentions traveling through the city of Trieste and finding there signed regulations on this issue, etc.
On Leaves [33]-[34], are additions in Italian writing, written in Senigallia in the month of Shevat 1819, concerning an obligation for a donation by the community's leading figures. On Leaves [46]-[48], are obligations written and signed by residents of the Cuneo community.
On Leaf [49] is a handwritten and signed inscription by Rabbi Yechezkel Eliezer Abulafia, nephew of Rabbi Chaim Shlomo who served as a Tiberias emissary after him.
Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Abulafia, a Tiberias sage, descendent of Rabbi Chaim Abulafia, author of Etz HaChaim. From 1816, he was emissary of the city of Tiberias to Italy and to France. In 1829, he travelled to Italy and Tunis, and was dubbed "Ba'al HaNissim" because of the miracles he merited. This ledger records his first journey. At the end of this journey, he reprinted the book Zimrat HaAretz by Rabbi Ya'akov Birav in Livorno. [See: Ya'ari, Sheluchei Eretz Yisrael, pp. 642-644].
[53] written leaves and dozens more blank leaves. 22 cm. Overall good condition. Stains. Tears and worming in several places. Contemporary cardboard binding with a string for fastening.