Auction 74 - Judaica - Books, Manuscripts, Rabbinical Letters, Ceremonial Art
Semichat Chachamim – Both Parts – Frankfurt am Main, 1704-1706 – Important Copy, With Signatures of the Forefathers of the Posen Family Rabbinic Dynasty
Opening: $800
Sold for: $1,500
Including buyer's premium
Semichat Chachamim, Part I – Birkat Hashem – Preface to Semichat Chachamim, and Part II – Kedusha UBeracha, novellae on tractate Berachot, by the kabbalist R. Naftali HaKohen Katz, rabbi of Frankfurt am Main. Frankfurt am Main, [1704-1706]. First edition. Two elaborate woodcut title pages. The first title page is followes by a plate featuring a star-shaped poem.
On the first title page: signature of R. "Zalman Posner", and of his son R. "Yaakov Pozna". On the back endpaper, ownership inscription: "Belongs to the renowned R. Yaakov Pozna, Frankfurt am Main".
This copy bears signatures of the forefathers of the Posen family rabbinic dynasty, which stemmed from leading German rabbis, and continues until this day with its descendants serving as rabbis in Eretz Israel, the United States and Europe.
The patriarch of the family, whose signature appears in this book was R. Yekutiel Zalman Pozna, dayan in Offenbach and rabbi of Friedberg (d. 1793). At a young age, he left Posen (Poznań), his hometown, and wandered from Greater Poland to the states of Germany (in those times, the Province of Posen belonged to Poland).
His son, whose signature also appears in this book, was R. Yaakov Posen (or Pozna, 1772-1849), a dayan in Frankfurt am Main who served in the Beit Din of the Haflaa and the latter's son, the Machaneh Levi. At R. Yaakov Posen's funeral, the Frankfurt community board intervened, and barred rabbis who battled the Reform movement from eulogizing him at the cemetery. The Posen family consequently initiated the establishment of R. Shimshon Refael Hirsch's independent Orthodox community. His son was R. Eliezer Posen, rabbi of the Chevrat Kloiz in Frankfurt am Main (1803-1866), and his grandson was R. Gershon Posen, who served as dayan in Frankfurt for fifty years.
The book was named Semichat Chachamim. Part I, a lengthy foreword on Kabbalah, is entitled Birkat Hashem on the title page, and part II, novellae on tractate Berachot, bears the title of Kedusha UBeracha.
The book was printed in the lifetime of the author – R. Naftali Katz (1650-1719) a foremost kabbalist, rabbi of Ostroh, Posen and Frankfurt am Main. From a young age, R. Naftali Katz adopted his awesome and holy practices and studied with outstanding diligence, until he knew the entire Talmud by heart. Immediately following his wedding, he was appointed dean of the Ostroh yeshiva, and at the age of 30, he was appointed rabbi of Ostroh and the entire district of Ukraine. In 1689, he went to serve as rabbi of Posen. At that time, when he was only forty years old, he was appointed head of the Vaad Arba Aratzot, a position which was in effect the highest Torah authority in all Ashkenazic countries. In 1704, he was appointed rabbi of Frankfurt am Main, capital of Torah study in Germany. After the great fire in Frankfurt am Main in 1711, he was compelled to flee (due to the rumor that the fire broke out due to his engaging in practical Kabbalah, performing hashbaot and writing amulets). After much wandering, he set out for Eretz Israel, yet fell ill in Constantinople, were he passed away. His gravesite in Constantinople serves until this day as a pilgrimage destination for prayer and salvation.
Reputedly, when the Baal Shem Tov arrived in Constantinople on his way to Eretz Israel, R. Naftali Katz appeared to him in a dream and revealed to him that he would not merit to immigrate to Eretz Israel, just like he himself hadn't and had passed away in Constantinople. The Baal Shem Tov therefore returned to his town, Medzhybizh.
[2], 3-79; [1], 140, [1] leaves. 33 cm. Thick, high-quality paper. Wide margins. Good-fair condition. Many stains. Tears and wear to first title page and margins of first leaves. Open marginal tears to leaf [2], slightly affecting text (this leaf, with the star-shaped poem, is wider than the other leaves and folded). Damage from past dampness and mold stains to margins of first and final leaves. New binding.
Bound before leaf 140, is the rare leaf entitled "Omitted from the glosses of Kedusha UBeracha", which was added to the book after the printing. This leaf does not appear in the copy scanned into Otzar HaChochma, but it is included in the copy scanned into Hebrew Books.
On the first title page: signature of R. "Zalman Posner", and of his son R. "Yaakov Pozna". On the back endpaper, ownership inscription: "Belongs to the renowned R. Yaakov Pozna, Frankfurt am Main".
This copy bears signatures of the forefathers of the Posen family rabbinic dynasty, which stemmed from leading German rabbis, and continues until this day with its descendants serving as rabbis in Eretz Israel, the United States and Europe.
The patriarch of the family, whose signature appears in this book was R. Yekutiel Zalman Pozna, dayan in Offenbach and rabbi of Friedberg (d. 1793). At a young age, he left Posen (Poznań), his hometown, and wandered from Greater Poland to the states of Germany (in those times, the Province of Posen belonged to Poland).
His son, whose signature also appears in this book, was R. Yaakov Posen (or Pozna, 1772-1849), a dayan in Frankfurt am Main who served in the Beit Din of the Haflaa and the latter's son, the Machaneh Levi. At R. Yaakov Posen's funeral, the Frankfurt community board intervened, and barred rabbis who battled the Reform movement from eulogizing him at the cemetery. The Posen family consequently initiated the establishment of R. Shimshon Refael Hirsch's independent Orthodox community. His son was R. Eliezer Posen, rabbi of the Chevrat Kloiz in Frankfurt am Main (1803-1866), and his grandson was R. Gershon Posen, who served as dayan in Frankfurt for fifty years.
The book was named Semichat Chachamim. Part I, a lengthy foreword on Kabbalah, is entitled Birkat Hashem on the title page, and part II, novellae on tractate Berachot, bears the title of Kedusha UBeracha.
The book was printed in the lifetime of the author – R. Naftali Katz (1650-1719) a foremost kabbalist, rabbi of Ostroh, Posen and Frankfurt am Main. From a young age, R. Naftali Katz adopted his awesome and holy practices and studied with outstanding diligence, until he knew the entire Talmud by heart. Immediately following his wedding, he was appointed dean of the Ostroh yeshiva, and at the age of 30, he was appointed rabbi of Ostroh and the entire district of Ukraine. In 1689, he went to serve as rabbi of Posen. At that time, when he was only forty years old, he was appointed head of the Vaad Arba Aratzot, a position which was in effect the highest Torah authority in all Ashkenazic countries. In 1704, he was appointed rabbi of Frankfurt am Main, capital of Torah study in Germany. After the great fire in Frankfurt am Main in 1711, he was compelled to flee (due to the rumor that the fire broke out due to his engaging in practical Kabbalah, performing hashbaot and writing amulets). After much wandering, he set out for Eretz Israel, yet fell ill in Constantinople, were he passed away. His gravesite in Constantinople serves until this day as a pilgrimage destination for prayer and salvation.
Reputedly, when the Baal Shem Tov arrived in Constantinople on his way to Eretz Israel, R. Naftali Katz appeared to him in a dream and revealed to him that he would not merit to immigrate to Eretz Israel, just like he himself hadn't and had passed away in Constantinople. The Baal Shem Tov therefore returned to his town, Medzhybizh.
[2], 3-79; [1], 140, [1] leaves. 33 cm. Thick, high-quality paper. Wide margins. Good-fair condition. Many stains. Tears and wear to first title page and margins of first leaves. Open marginal tears to leaf [2], slightly affecting text (this leaf, with the star-shaped poem, is wider than the other leaves and folded). Damage from past dampness and mold stains to margins of first and final leaves. New binding.
Bound before leaf 140, is the rare leaf entitled "Omitted from the glosses of Kedusha UBeracha", which was added to the book after the printing. This leaf does not appear in the copy scanned into Otzar HaChochma, but it is included in the copy scanned into Hebrew Books.
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Kabbalah Books