Ma'amar Mordechai – Dyhernfurth 1719 – with comments and new interpretations handwritten by Mullah Or Shraga – Only ...

Ma'amar Mordechai – Dyhernfurth 1719 – with comments and new interpretations handwritten by Mullah Or Shraga – Only one in the world!
We have only little information about the history of this miracle-maker; yet many stories have remained. He was a holy man who did many miracles.
The rabbi was born in Yazd at the beginning of the 18th century. The title "Mullah" was given to him due to his great wisdom. The people of Yazd used to call him "Mullah Or Ha'Rishon" (First Light Mullah) yet he, in his modesty, used to day – I am only "Shraga" (small light).
Mullah Or Shraga was admired among the Jews of Persia, Yazd and Meshed and even among the gentiles he was known as a pious, holy miracle-maker. According to tradition, he used to study every day with the Prophet Eliyahu. The Ba'al Shem Tov, who lived at the same time, said about him: "I have a soul mate who lives far away named Or Shraga", although he never met him.
His arrival in Yazd is also related to his great strength as a miracle-maker. At first, he lived in Isfahan. The governor of the town persecuted the Jews and ordered to execute ten of the town's rabbis. Seven of them died on Kiddush Ha'Shem. Yet three, miraculously escaped. The three were Mullah Or Shraga, Mullah Darius and Mullah Moshe. Each of them escaped to a different city; yet they continued to study together, each time at a different city, with the other two getting there miraculously by the Holy Names.
Mullah Or Shraga's arrival at Yazd improved the prestige of the community. The city became a center of Torah and Torah scholars. Many students left the city to teach Torah in other Persian towns and cities. Thus, the city received the name "Little Jerusalem" by the Persian Jews. It was also called "Dar el Ibrahim", that is "the Eye of Faith". Mullah Or Shraga sanctified the name of God among the gentiles and it is told that the Shah himself came to seek his help and blessing.
The Rabbi died in 1794. His grave, at the outskirts of the city, became a place of pilgrimage for the people and is considered holy even among the Muslims. A Moslem, whose wife became pregnant after praying beside the grave, built a magnificent building on it. During his memorial, the people of the town sing the song composed by his son, Shmuel.
He left many followers, Torah scholars and Kabbalists: his sons – Rabbi Shmuel and Rabbi Yitzchak, his grandson – Mullah Yitzchak, and his great-grandson – Mullah Moshe ben Rabbi Rabbi Yitzchak and his son, Rabbi Refael.
More about his biography: Chanina Mizrachi, The Jews of Persia, 1959. And about him and the community: Yosef Shraga, From Yazd to the Land of Israel, Jerusalem 1987.
Mullah Or Shraga left only two missives about public matters. Until now, nothing was known about new interpretations of the Torah in his handwriting. Yet, now, a manuscript has been discovered which is full of his new interpretations.
The book contains kabbalist interpretations of the Torah and Passover Haggada, 340 years old, which was used by Mullah Or Shraga. At the margins of almost all the pages there are new interpretations handwritten and signed by the Rabbi.
This identification was unambiguously verified by Prof. Binyamin Richler, an expert in Jewish manuscripts, the former manager of the department for microfilmed manuscripts at the National Library in Jerusalem.

Prof. Binyamin Richler's opinion:#
Sefer Ma'amar Mordecai (Dyhernfurth, 1719, 117 folios, 2 columns on each page) includes kabbalistic homilies on the Pentateuch and the Passover Haggadah. This copy belonged to the eminent and saintly kabbalist Rabbi Or Sheraga of Yezd in Persia (died in 1794). Rabbi Or Sheraga was one of the most revered figures of Iranian Jewry and until recent times Iranian Jews paid homage to him at his tomb. With the exception of these glosses no other writings of his survive except for two letters he wrote which were copied by scribes and signed by him.

This volume includes glosses and additions by the Rabbi on the wide margins of the book. The great majority of the glosses were written by and signed by Rabbi Or Sheraga in his own hand. The signatures are identical to the signature in the above-mentioned letters and the script of the glosses is identical to that of the signatures as well, and there can be no doubt that they were written by the esteemed kabbalist himself. The glosses were written on the margins of the homilies on the Pentateuch, that form the greater part of the book. Some of the glosses are brief, but most are quite long, often written along the entire wide margins. On folios 56-75 on which the commentary on the Haggadah was printed there are only a few glosses (on folios 56r, 59v and 60r).
These glosses are a unique opportunity to understand the teachings, wide knowledge of sources and thought of this revered figure.
Benjamin Richler
Jerusalem
January 2015

Description of the book:#
Ma'amar Mordechai by Rabbi Mordechai ben Rabbi Yehuda Leib Holisch of Leviv, a genius in Torah and Kabbala.
The book includes nice Drushim on the Torah according to the Parashot as well as commentary on the Passover Haggada named 'Chidushei Haggada'.
Printed in Dyhernfurth 1719.
122 pp. (several pages that were missing were completed in handwriting)
Description of handwritten comments:#
The title pages, margins and covers are full with notes, kabbalist comments, commentary, signatures and stamps of Mullah Or Shraga. Additional commentary and signatures are of his descendants, who were also great Torah scholars. Most of the commentary is in Mullah Or Shraga'a handwriting and beside most of it, he signed in his handwriting "Ha'Tzair Or Shraga" (the young Or Shraga). There are also various handwritten lists, such as a form certifying a Shchita.
On the title pages and the first page of a new part of the book (for instance, page 35 the Book of Exodus, page 52 the Book of Leviticus and so on) there are about five stamps, all of descendants of the Mullah.
The nature of the commentary, lists and signatures:#
Most of them refer directly to what is written in the book. Some of the comments are unrelated to what is written in the book. Among these, are words of Mussar and guidance, implications, acronyms, names and talismans (for example, on page 88, there are combinations of names intended for good health). The comments are long and full of biblical discourse. There are also corrections of spelling mistakes and sometimes, titles are added to what is written (for instance, on page 101 "Ta'am Kilayim" (the reason for Kilayim).
Throughout the book, there are dozens of comments in a different handwriting, referring to what is written in the book. The writer drew a line above the words which the comment refers to. On page 22, he wrote a comment referring to the words of Mullah Or Shraga. A comparison of the handwriting revealed that it is the handwriting of Mullah Or Shraga'a grandson.
On several pages (27, 75) there are comments in a third handwriting. One of them is signed: "Katan Yosef" (the small Yosef) (Mullah Or Shraga's grandson and the rabbi of the Jewish community in Yazd).
One page that had been torn from the book was completed in nice handwriting. It is difficult to determine whether the handwriting is of Mullah Or Shraga or of one of his descendants.
On the inner page of the cover, there is a lyric dedication in nice handwriting in honor of the Babylonian rabbinical judges. Probably, the book was given to them as a gift by one of the descendants of the family.