"Mizrah" / Prayer of Rabbi Yishmael Cohen Gadol – Jerusalem, 1866

Mizrah / An Awesome prayer by Rabbi Yishmael Cohen Gadol. Single leaf, "From the new printing press of R' Avraham Rotenberg", Jerusalem, [c. 1866].
Printed on the four corners are drawings: The Western Wall, The Tomb of Rachel, The Tomb of Zecharya and "Ma'arat HaMachpela". At the top of the leaf, in the center: "Mizrah – the spirit of life is from this direction". Printed underneath is the title, An Awesome prayer by Rabbi Yishmael Cohen Gadol and under that is a rectangle with the inscription "Sha'ar Ora". The text itself is printed in three columns: printed in the right and left column is the prayer of Rabbi Yishmael Cohen Gadol, "whoever says it every day in the Synagogue or at home is saved from all evil happenings…", printed in the middle column are two chapters of Psalms (34, 72) to be read before reciting the prayer. At the bottom of the leaf: "Printed in Yerushalem; this holy prayer is cited in the book Amtachat Binyamin [by Rabbi Binyamin Beinish ben Yehuda Leib HaCohen, Wilhermsdorf 1716] and after seeing it, I said that is something good to distribute throughout the Jewish people and to reprint it on a board. In this manner each person will be able to purchase it and hang it on the walls of his home and read it. And G-d will be with him and he will succeed wherever he endeavors and he will receive the blessing mentioned above. These are the words of the publisher of this dear item, Moshe ben Rabbi Avraham Binyamin Rivlin". Rabbi Avraham Rotenberg's printing press operated in Jerusalem from 1866-1868 and from 1877-1878; this leaf was dated according to the writing in its lower margins, "In the new printing press of Rabbi Avraham Rotenberg".
33.5X44 cm. Fair-good condition. Tears, primarily to upper margins and on folding lines, professionally restored. Creases and stains. Placed in a frame 52.5X72.5 cm. Not examined out of the frame.
Rare. Bibliographically unknown, does not appear in "Sifrei Yerushalayim HaRishonim" by Shoshana HaLevi and differs from the Mizrah mentioned in the Bibliography Institute CD Listing 0313739 and from other Mizrah items printed in Jerusalem in those times.