Auction 27 - Books, Manuscripts and Rabbinical Letters

Siddur HaShla – Amsterdam, 1742

Opening: $3,200
Unsold
Sha'ar HaShamayim – All-year siddur according to Polish custom. With commentaries, laws and manner of conduct, by Rabbi Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz, author of the Shla. Amsterdam, [1742]. Second edition.
Explanation of the prayers by the author of the Shla, primarily according to Kabbalah (according to various books especially the Arizal's writings which were before him in a manuscript), with a compilation of laws and manner of conduct compiled by his grandson, who published “Shnei Luchot HaBrit”.
The Holy Shla wrote his siddur with the intention of printing and distributing it to the public as he wrote in his testament to his sons: "I thought to compose this holy work to have it printed and spread throughout the Jewish Diaspora, that I shall have a merit and portion in Jewish prayers". Praying from this siddur has a special segula that the prayer shall be accepted and not return unanswered. As the author of the Bach wrote in his approbation to this siddur: "We have no doubt that when it spreads throughout the Jewish world, anyone who prays from it (this siddur), his prayer will not return unanswered". Rabbi Avraham Ya'akov the first Sadigura Rebbe mentioned this segula in his approbation to the third edition of the siddur (Warsaw 1882): "The siddur Sha'ar HaShamayim by the Holy Shla as verified by the author of the Bach in his golden language – we have no doubt that anyone who prays from it, his prayer will not return unanswered". Rabbi Naftali Katz author of “Semichat Chachamim” attributes this segula to the author himself, the Holy Shla, and this is what he writes in his letter: "…the order of the prayers, for each day, for Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Yamim Nora'im from the beginning of the year to the end of the year arranged and composed by Rabbi Yeshaya Segal, author of Shnei Luchot HaBrit. He was very attached to this siddur and commanded his descendants to have it printed to give the public the privilege to pray according to this order with these intentions. He made a covenant that if they pray according to this arrangement before He Who Hears Prayers with all their strength and with these intentions, the prayers will not return unanswered. And see the words and approbation of the early great Torah leaders of that time… Rabbi Yoel Sirkis author of Bayit Chadash and Rabbi Ya'akov Av Beit Din of Lublin… and Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller author of the Tosfot Yom Tov… and "all the prophets speak in the same manner" - all the aforementioned Torah scholars, that if a person prays with these intentions his prayers will not return unanswered".
28, 568 leaves. 18.5 cm. High-quality paper, colored leaf cutting, good condition. Stains, moth marks. Wear and restored tears on title page. Paper glue on margins of three leaves. Stamps. Fine light-colored binding [tear on corner of spine], fabric bookmark and gilded impression.
Concurrently, an edition with piyutim "according to Ashkenazi custom" was printed, identical to this edition until leaf 364 (except the title page). From 365 until the end, (Booklet 92), the word "Polish" is printed on the margin of the first leaf of each booklet (on the parallel edition “Ashkenaz” is printed).
Kabbalah
Kabbalah