One of a Kind? Riddles Written by the Ben Ish Chai for his Students and his Family

One of a Kind? Riddles Written by the Ben Ish Chai for his Students and his Family

"May Hashem help us, amen, may it be His will, and may He protect us and assist us, amen, may it be His will"

Complete manuscript from beginning to end, spanning two pages and containing puzzles and riddles in the penmanship of the leading Kabbalist of Bavel, the living lion, Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim of Baghdad. [Baghdad, late 19th century.]

Unique manuscript, one-of-a-kind, different in its very essence from the Ben Ish Chai's writings offered occasionally at auction. Usually, the Ben Ish Chai's manuscripts contain derashot or excerpts from derashot that the Ben Ish Chai would deliver to large crowds on Shabbat and festivals. In contrast to these, this manuscript contains three riddles and their solutions. An electronic search we carried out through the main databases indicates that the content of this manuscript in this form has never been printed.

The riddles also contain deep Kabbalistic concepts hinting at lofty ideas. For example, the first riddle describes one who became angry at his servant and swears that he will throw a large stone at him. When the master calmed down from his rage, he decided to break the stone into many small pieces so that he could fulfill his oath and throw the stone at his servant, yet the servant will come to no harm from the small stones. This riddle hints that even if Heaven has decreed that a person will be punished, Hashem exchanges this punishment for a lot of minor discomfort, which, although distressing, does not cause damage.

Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a precise transcription of the riddles, as we cannot otherwise do justice to this sacred text. Refer to the Hebrew catalog text as well for a brief biography of Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad.

It is rare to find a leaf of the Ben Ish Chai's derashot with a complete passage from beginning to end, and a single derashah often spans several dozen leaves. This manuscript is absolutely complete, and stands on its own. From the title, "Chidudim" at the top of the first page, and all the way to the blessing at the end of the second page, "May Hashem help us, amen, may it be His will, and may He protect us and assist us, amen, may it be His will" - the famous blessing that appears at the end of the Ben Ish Chai's derashot and grants them the mystic dimension of amulets.

[2] pp. 14.5x10 cm. Characteristic autograph script.

Fine condition. Tiny tears in the margins. Magnificent new binding, as befits this sacred manuscript.