Two written leaves (over 1000 words!) in the penmanship of the light of the world, Rabbeinu Chaim Yosef David Azoulay, known as the Chid”a, among the greatest personalities ever to have graced the Jewish people. His insights are discussed in all study halls and spoken by one and all. [Livorno, late 18th century.] Original autograph with differences from the printed text.
On the first part of the leaf, the Chid”a copied a question sent to him by Chacham Rabbi Yitzchak Ardit of Izmir. The question deals with the temple vessels made by Moshe Rabbeinu – will they require re-anointing with oil in the future, after having been defiled by non-Jews? The Chid”a then writes the beginning of his response to Rabbi Yitzchak. This responsum appears here in its original version, with many differences from the version printed in the end in the sefer . The Chid”a wrote at the top of the leaf ” Chayim Sha’al , siman 69,” yet the shu”t was actually printed in siman 72.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for several examples of differences between the manuscript and the printed text.
The hidden klei haMikdash have stirred many an adventurer’s imagination throughout the generations, Jewish and otherwise. As early as Tractate Shekalim (6:2) there is a story about a kohen who discovered a floor different from its surroundings in a wooded area. He understood that this was the place the vessels were hidden, but before calling out to his friend, he passed away “and they knew well that that was where the aron was hidden.” And then there is the mysterious map found in the previous generation in the Dead Sea scrolls indicating the precise place the klei ha Mikdash were buried. Leading archaeologists despaired of deciphering it. However, this responsum from the kodesh hakodashim , the Chid”a, deals with the spiritual dimension of the hidden Temple vessels, and not the physical dimension, but with respect to these most lofty issues – the klei haMikdash – the spiritual and physical dimensions are actually one and the same – a place where Heaven touches Earth!
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azoulay – the Chid”a .
[1] leaf paper, written on both sides. Approximately 22.5×16.5 cm.
Moderate-fine condition. Minor ink fading in several words. Worming perforations. Creases. Light tears in the margins. Placed in a glass frame.