Amulet to protect children from dying – handwritten by the great Rabbi Shlomo Michael Yonah, Av Beit Din of Turin. 18th century.
Amulet text to protect ‘children who were born, that they not die, Heaven forbid’ with holy Names, oaths and instructions how it is to be written, handwritten by the great Rabbi Shlomo Michael Yonah, Av Beit Din of Turin, one of the greatest Italian sages of his generation.
At the beginning of the amulet, Rabbi Shlomo Michael indicates that it is to be written ‘specifically on deer parchment.’ In the right margins, he indicates ‘the form of the amulet.’ An additional segulah, for memory, is noted at the top of the leaf.
T he gaon Rabbi Shlomo Michael Yonah was the Av Beit Din of Turin. He was one of the greatest rabbis in Italy in his time – ‘מתקיפי דארעא’ [‘among the sharpest in the land’] in the words of Rabbi Menachem Ezra Meir Kastelonovo in his responsa, Emek HaMelech (21b). A native of Alessandria della Palia, Italy, where he studied Torah with the great sage, expert in both the revealed and hidden [aspects of Torah], Rabbi Eliyahu HaLevi. When the Chid”a arrived on his way to his mission in Alessandria, he became very close with Rabbi Shlomo Michael. In his letters, the Chid”a would praise him extensively. The Chid”a testified that he behaved piously, and out of his great affection for him he called him ‘the apple of my right eye’ ( Iggerot V’Haskamot HaChid”a , Vaknin, page 56). There is a letter of admiration from him to the Chid”a, printed in the Moriah collection, year 18, issue 205-206, Tishrei, 1991, page 64. He apparently also studied kabbalah with his teacher, Rabbi Eliyahu HaLevi.
His responsa regarding the controversy that arose in Italy with respect to whether to recite hymns on the night of Shemini Atzeret which fell on Shabbat, before Mizmor Shir L’Yom HaShabbat , was agreed upon by his teacher as well as Rabbi Yishmael HaCohen, Av Beit Din of Modena, author of Zera Emet . Refer to: Kovetz Etz Chaim (Sanz) issue 5 2003, page 3.
[1] leaf. Ink on paper. 25×19 cm. Fine condition. Two tiny perforations due to the acidity of the ink, slight wear in the corners.