A Sermon for Shabbat Tshuva – a Booklet with Dozens of Leaves Handwritten by Rabbi Yoseph Chaim of Baghdad, Author ...

A Sermon for Shabbat Tshuva – a Booklet with Dozens of Leaves Handwritten by Rabbi Yoseph Chaim of Baghdad, Author of Ben Ish Chai
Complete booklet, sermon for Shabbat Tshuva. Autographic handwriting of Rabbi Yoseph Chaim of Baghdad author of Ben Ish Chai. [Baghdad], 1901.
At the top of the first leaf: "In the name of G-d we will do and be successful…the sermon I have delivered in the year 1901 on Shabbat Tshuva. G-d in His mercy and kindness has given me the merit and assistance to speak every year Torah Lishma for good life and peace, Amen".
At the end of the sermon: "Our eyes shall see and our hearts rejoice at the coming of our Redeemer, the Messiah our Righteous One quickly in our days, Amen. G-d should help us and protect us… Amen".
Rabbi Yoseph Chaim of Baghdad (1833-1909), author of Ben Ish Chai and dozens of other important books. Son of Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim, son of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Rabbi of Baghdad. Disciple of Rabbi Abdullah Somech, was famous for his genius and righteousness. After the death of his father in 1859, when only 26 years old, Rabbi Yoseph Chaim succeeded his father is speaking at the Great Synagogue, and spoke there every Shabbat for 50 years. When he spoke on special Shabbatot such as Shabbat Tshuva and Shabbat HaGadol, more than 4000 people would congregate to hear him and he would enthrall the audience for four to five hours while spicing his words with pleasing parables. His sermons were a mixture of halacha and agadda and explanations of verses and agadot Chazal, according to their simple meaning, remez and their hidden meanings.
The author of Ben Ish Chai was the leading Torah scholar of his city and the entire country. All the rabbis and dayanim of Baghdad submitted to his authority and he was the unchallenged leader of Babylonian Jews. He studied Torah Lishma, his greatness in revealed and hidden Torah became renowned throughout the world and he was famous for his great holiness. In 1869, he travelled to Eretz Israel to pray at the graves of tzaddikim, and at that time, it was revealed to him from Heaven that his neshama (soul) originated from the neshama of Benayahu ben Yehoyada and therefore he named many of his works after him: Ben Ish Chai, Ben Ish Chayil, Ben Yehoyada, Rav Pe'alim, Od Yoseph Chai, etc. His other books are Leshon Chachamim, Aderet Eliyahu, Torah Lishma responsa (which he printed anonymously), Chasdei Avot, Birkat Avot etc.
Approximately 58 leaves, more than 110 written pages, approximately 18 lines written on each page. 13.5 cm. Brittle paper, good-fair condition. Wear and detached leaves. Erasures and additions between the lines, all in the handwriting of the Ben Ish Chai.
Enclosed is an authorization by an expert. The content has been printed in his book Teshuva MeChaim, Jerusalem 2009, pp. 230-276. There the sermon was apparently printed according to another manuscript with difference from this manuscript.