Bidspirit auction | A Segulah for Authority and

A Segulah for Authority and Kingship – Manuscript by the Ben Ish Chai | His Famous Blessing | His Sacred Fingerprint - An exceptionally rare manuscript of special significance and segulah value, consisting entirely of approximately 120 words written in the sacred handwriting of the greatest Kabbalist of Babylonia, Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, author of the ”Ben Ish Chai.” [Baghdad, second half of the 19th century]. Nearly all of the Ben Ish Chai's manuscripts have been published over the years in his dozens of books and works. Before us is an extraordinary manuscript containing Torah novellae which, to the best of our electronic research, have never been published. A Segulah for Authority and Kingship! Manuscripts written in the sacred hand of the Ben Ish Chai have been regarded throughout the generations as a segulah for protection and safeguarding. The present manuscript possesses an additional, particularly significant segulah-related element: the Ben Ish Chai writes, with emphasis, the biblical verse: ”ברוב עם הדרת מלך” – ”In the Multitude of People Is the King's Glory.” The meaning of the verse is that the greater and more numerous the people surrounding the king, the greater his glory and the more magnificent his kingship. Thus, beyond the segulah traditionally attributed to the sacred handwriting of the Ben Ish Chai itself, the present manuscript prominently features ”The King's Glory” – a biblical verse associated with kingship, leadership, and authority, lending this leaf a special segulah significance in matters of sovereignty and kingship. The Ben Ish Chai's Famous Blessing! The second page of the manuscript is of particular importance, containing nothing but the Ben Ish Chai's well-known blessing, written in his own sacred hand: ”א־ל ש־די יהיה בעזרתינו וישמרנו ויעזרנו אכי”ר.” ”May God Almighty come to our aid, protect us, and assist us. Amen, so may it be His will.” This celebrated blessing appears in manuscripts written by the Ben Ish Chai, and some regard it as one of the reasons his handwritten manuscripts have become especially sought after over the years as a segulah and amulet, even more so than manuscripts written by other great Torah sages. His Sacred Fingerprint! Another extraordinary detail of the present manuscript evokes an almost otherworldly sense of awe and excitement: along the margin of the first page, a small amount of ink from the scribe's inkwell was smeared. The Ben Ish Chai wiped the ink with his sacred hand, thereby leaving the impression of his sacred fingerprint upon the paper! Before us, therefore, is an exceptionally tangible and sacred relic – the fingerprint of the greatest Kabbalist of Babylonia upon a manuscript written in his own holy hand, a phenomenon unlike anything we have encountered in other manuscripts of the Ben Ish Chai. Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad [תקצ”ג–תרס”ט], author of the Ben Ish Chai, was the foremost Torah sage of the Sephardic and Oriental Jewish world in his generation. He was born to Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim, son of Rabbi Moshe Chaim, the rabbi of Baghdad, and was a disciple of Rabbeinu Abdallah Somekh. From an early age, he became renowned for his extraordinary Torah genius and righteousness. At approximately twenty-six years of age, he began delivering sermons at the Great Synagogue of Baghdad, continuing to preach there every Shabbat and festival for nearly fifty years. Thousands would gather to hear his remarkable sermons, listening to his inspiring words for four or five hours at a time. His reputation spread throughout the Jewish world as a singular genius of his generation, unparalleled in both the revealed and hidden dimensions of the Torah, and he became renowned for his extraordinary sanctity. In תרכ”ט, he traveled to the Land of Israel to pray at the graves of the righteous. During this journey, it was revealed to him from Heaven that his soul originated from the soul-root of Benayahu ben Yehoyada. Consequently, he named many of his numerous works after biblical expressions associated with Benayahu, including Ben Ish Chai, Ben Ish Chayil, Ben Yehoyada, Rav Pe'alim, Od Yosef Chai, and others. Before us is an exceptionally rare manuscript of profound segulah significance: previously unpublished Torah novellae by the Ben Ish Chai; the verse ”In the Multitude of People Is the King's Glory” in his sacred handwriting; his famous blessing, ”May God Almighty Come to Our Aid, Protect Us, and Assist Us”; and, alongside these, the sacred fingerprint of Rabbeinu himself upon the page. An extraordinary and tangible sacred relic of the greatest Kabbalist of Babylonia, combining Torah scholarship, blessing, and segulah in his own holy handwriting. [2] pages. Approximately 15 × 12 cm. Approximately 120 words entirely handwritten by the Ben Ish Chai, including his famous blessing. Good to very good condition.