Semichat Chachamim, two parts. Part I: Birkat Hashem - Hakdamat Semichat Chachamim. Part II: Kedusha UVeracha, novellae on tractate Berachot, by R. Naphtali HaKohen Katz, Rabbi of Frankfurt am Main. Frankfurt am Main, [1704-1706].
Both parts constitute one book, titled "Semichat Chachamim". The first part constitutes a lengthy Kabbalistic introduction under the subtitle "Birkat Hashem"; the second part contains novellae on tractate Berachot under the subtitle "Kedusha UVeracha".
Printed in the lifetime of the author, the celebrated Ashkenazi kabbalist R. Naftali Katz (1650-1719), Rabbi of Ostroh, Posen and Frankfurt am Main. From youth he conducted himself with 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 to the influential position of Rabbi of Ostroh and the Ukrainian district. In 1689, he relocated to Posen to serve there as rabbi. At the young age of 40 he was chosen to preside over Vaad Arba Aratzot, the highest rabbinical position in central and eastern Europe. In 1704, he was appointed Rabbi of Frankfurt am Main, the center of Torah study in Germany. After the great fire of 1711, he was forced to flee Frankfurt am Main (as rumors claimed the fire was his fault, having engaged in practical kabbalah, performing incantations and writing amulets). After much wandering, he planned to settle in Eretz Israel. However, upon arriving in Constantinople he took ill and died. His gravesite in Constantinople has since been a place of pilgrimage for prayer and salvation. (Reputedly, when the Baal Shem Tov was passing in Constantinople on his way to Eretz Israel, R. Naftali Katz appeared to him in a dream to announce that, like himself, he was destined to die in Constantinople, never reaching Eretz Israel. This was the reason the Baal Shem Tov returned to his city of Medzhybizh).
Two elaborate woodcut title pages, the first followed by a calligram of a star printed on a wider, folding plate.
Ownership inscriptions on flyleaves. Ownership inscription on front flyleaf, partly deleted: "…belongs to R. Moshe Schuster Katz of Frankfurt am Main". His signature appears on p. 40a, making use of the Hebrew numeral Mem: "Moshe son of Lemle Schuster Katz" (d. 1814, see his epitaph in Horowitz, Avnei Zikaron - HaKetav VeHamichtav, p. 568). Another (deleted) ownership inscription on first title page. Inscription in Italian script in the center of the title page: "My acquisition, Yitzchak Refael son of Elisha Michael Finzi, Padua 1792" (R. Yitzchak Refael Finzi, Rabbi of Padua, student of R. Yitzchak Lampronti author of Pachad Yitzchak. A member of Napoleon's Grand Sanhedrin. "Taught some hundred students" [Fuenn, Knesset Yisrael, p. 654]. R. Mordechai Ghirondi's teacher). Glosses in Italian script on p. 40a and p. 114b.
79; [1], 140 leaves. 33 cm. Thick, high-quality light-colored paper. Good condition. A few stains. Worming to lower margin in multiple pages, generally not affecting text, affecting title page of Part II. Tears to title page of Part I, restored, slightly affecting woodcut. Repaired tears to folding calligram page, affecting text (with loss of a few words). New leather binding.