Manuscript, Sefer HaPeliah, early kabbalistic work, commentaries on Parashat Bereshit. [Europe, 17th century]. Ashkenazi script.
Sefer HaPeliah is known to be a segulah for its owners, " to bring blessing into the home" (see below).
This text differs from the printed version. The introduction was not copied. Many kabbalistic squares. Glosses (most of them trimmed), mostly in the first part of the manuscript.
Interestingly, most of p. 72a is blank and on the parallel page in the Korets 1784 edition (the first edition, p. 38b), the following is printed in parentheses: "Woe over what is lost and is not to be found, the text here is lacking". In addition, a marginal gloss handwritten by the scribe on p. 75a reads: "In the copying it is written that five lines are missing here", and on the parallel page in the Korets 1784 edition (p. 39b) the following is printed in parentheses: "Here we have found in the copying that some five lines are missing…".
The last page bears three signatures – " Meshulam Zalman Neumark". Apparently, these are the signatures of R. Meshulam Zalman Mirels Neumark (1623-1706), rabbi of Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek. One of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation, astute and erudite, blessed with wealth as well. Born in Vienna, son-in-law of R. Yaakov Rabbi of Vienna. After the expulsion from Vienna in 1670, he moved to Berlin with his family. From 1680, he served as rabbi of the Three Communities (Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek), establishing and heading a large yeshiva. In 1692 he was chosen as rabbi of Zhovkva and Tiktin, however, he refused and remained rabbi of the Three Communities until his passing. R. Tzvi Hirsh Ashkenazi, author of Chacham Tzvi, wed R. Neumark's daughter Sarah in 1691. His grandson, the Yaavetz, wrote that all his sons were "outstanding in Torah knowledge and good deeds" (Megillat Sefer, leaf 10).
The Chafetz Chaim, in his work Mishnah Berurah (90:29), cites a story about R. Neumark (found in Shem Yaakov by R. Yaakov son of R. Yechezkel Segal, posek in Lobsens, Frankfurt an der Oder 1716, leaf 30): Once, on his way to the synagogue wrapped in his tallit and tefillin, R. Neumark met someone who was selling precious gems and asked that R. Neumark come to his home. R. Neumark told him to wait until he returned from the synagogue. In the meantime, he sold the gems to someone else who profited greatly from their sale. R. Neumark was overjoyed that he had the merit to relinquish a great sum of money for the mitzvah of praying with a congregation. This is one of the only examples of the Mishnah Berurah citing stories about tzaddikim.
The same page also bears two signatures of R. Dov Ber Neumark, son of R. Meshulam Zalman: "Dov son of… R. Meshulam Zalman Neumark". R. Dov Ber was one of the heads of the Posen community and is acknowledged at the end of the edition of Mishnayot with the Etz Chaim commentary by R. Yaakov Hagiz (Berlin 1716-1717) for funding its printing.
At the top of the first page (on the restoration paper) is a (trimmed) ownership inscription: "…Binyamin(?) Wolf son of Elchanan", and a stamp of "Jews' College, London".
[195] written leaves + [1] piece of paper bound between leaves 175 and 176. Leaves 74 and 75 were bound out of sequence. 29 cm. Fair condition. Stains. Dampstains to many leaves, faded ink in some leaves rendering the text illegible (especially leaves 69-73, 81-84, 141-157). Tears, some repaired with paper. Large open tears, with significant loss of text, to the last two leaves. Worming to several leaves. New binding, in matching slipcase.
Provenance:
1. The Beth Din & Beth HaMidrash Collection – London, MS 68.
2. Christie's, New York, June 1999, lot 93.

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Sefer HaPeliah – Segulah Book

In the approbations to the Przemyśl 1884 edition of Sefer HaPeliah, leading Chassidic masters attest to the segulah of

possessing a copy of this book. Rebbe Aharon of Sanz (son of the Divrei Chaim) writes that "it is a tradition of the Jewish People that it [Sefer HaPeliah] possesses the segulah to bring blessing into the home". The Rebbe of Husiatyn writes that "undoubtedly, anyone who purchases this holy book, his home will be protected". Rebbe Uri HaKohen of Sambir writes an especially interesting approbation which reflects his great humility: "…Although I do not understand anything of this holy book, it is worthwhile purchasing Sefer HaPeliah to see the holy letters of this book… to enlighten us with the holy Torah, to understand even a little of this book".