Shaar HaShamayim - "Siddur HaShl"a." Amsterdam, 1717. First Edition. Incomplete Copy

Shaar HaShamayim - "Siddur HaShl"a." Amsterdam, 1717. First Edition. Incomplete Copy

Siddur Shaar HaShamayim. Prayer book with a nice commentary, beautified with many adornments ... R' Yeshaya ben ... R' Avraham HaLevi ztz"l of the Horowitz family ... from the beginning through the end of the year. With Tikkun Shabbat and the Peirush HaMishnayot, Hoshanot, Maaravot with commentary and the Passover Haggadah, and perakim and yotzrot and selichot, Shir haYichud with commentary, Psalms with commentaries and compiled traditions ... Maamadot and Perek Shira. Amsterdam, [1717]. First edition of the Siddur HaShl"a.

Detailed Specifications: Incomplete copy. The prayer book starts on leaf 10 with "hanhagot haboker." Missing the illustrated title page, the following title page and through leaf 9. Leaf 10 is blemished. Leaves 14 -31 are blemished. Leaf 51 is missing. Leaf 64 is blemished. Leaf 88 is blemished. Leaves 118-119 are blemished. Leaves 121-124 are blemished. Missing leaves 197-230 (from the Shabbat prayers). In the second pagination: leaf 118 is blemished (with the "Zulat" recited between Passover and Shavuot).
Psalms has a separate title page as does the Seder Maamadot.

Background: This is the first edition of the Siddur HaShl"a with kabbalistic intentions, printed per the author's request after much effort over dozens of years. This is the most detailed and elucidated prayer book printed until then. 

Unique features: The Shl"a wrote about writing and printing this prayer book in his will. He wrote that he finished writing it in Jerusalem in 1622, on Friday Parshat VaYeitzei. For this and other reasons he chose to call the siddur Shaar HaShamayim. He wanted to print the prayer book so that he could earn merits from all of the prayers recited by his brethren. The prayer book received enthusiastic approbations from prominent Torah leaders of his generation. Rabbi Yoel Sirkis, the "Bach", wrote: "We have no doubts that when this spreads among the Jews, that everyone who prays from it, their prayers will not return unanswered." Kabbalist Rabbi Naftali Katz wrote about the siddur and its author, "I have great yearnings for this prayer book, and it was decreed that his children should print it ... and it is a promise from him ... if they turn to the One who hears the prayers with this prayer book, with all their energy and intent ... they will not be returned empty handed." Prominent righteous people desired to prayer from this prayer book.

Especially in-demand siddur, there are almost no complete extant copies with Psalms and Maamadot.

Condition: Other than the leaves detailed above, the rest of the leaves of the book are in fine condition. Complete, worn antiquated leather binding.