Rosh Mashbir : by the author, the great sage and holy gaon, Rabbi Moshe Birdugo, ZTzL”H, signed in his holy handwriting. Written by him and also by his great disciples. Among these, there is an autograph in his great disciple’s, the holy author of Ohr HaChaim ‘s, own handwriting. There is also an approbation written by his father, the complete sage Rabbi Moshe ibn Attar, ZTzL”H, in his own handwriting and with his signature.
This rare and precious manuscript was previously owned by the humble Chassid, the gaon Rabbi Avraham Abish, ZTzL”H, Av Beit Din of Frankfurt am Main, and is signed in his holy hand. Historic discovery.
The book Rosh Mashbir contains sermons for the book of Bereishit, sermons for the well-known Shabbats and their related issues, eulogies and compilations by the sage Rabbeinu Moshe son of Avraham Birdugo, rabbi of Meknes and head of the Moroccan community in the early 18th century. [Meknes c. 1720.] Large, impressive manuscript volume.
This volume was written after 1721, which is evident from the content of the included eulogies. The manuscript opens with the title page and the author’s introduction, and at its end, he praises the father-in-law of the “Ohr HaChaim” as follows: “Gifted to … the honorable Rabbi Moshe Y”Tz son of the generous and lofty pursuer of charity and lovingkindness, the honorable rabbi Shem Tov ibn Attar Z”L who took gold from his pocket to revive my soul and bring merit to the many – the merit of the many is dependent on him.” The introduction was written in Rabbi Moshe Birdugo’s own handwriting. An inscription and signature of the author’s are added to the title page within a very beautifully drawn decoration: “Compositions and Sermons Composed by Me, the Small One, Moshe Birdugo, S.T.” There is an approbation for the manuscript by the complete sage Rabbi Moshe Ben-Attar, father of Rabbeinu Chaim Ben-Attar, in his handwriting and with his signature, from 1723. Manuscripts from Rabbi Moshe Ben-Attar are very rare and the manuscript before us is almost the only one in the world. The manuscript also contains a copy of an approbation by the sage Rabbi Yaakov Ben-Tzur, and a poem at the end. The remainder of the leaves of the composition is partially the autograph of the author’s, and partially manuscripts of his great disciples. The handwriting of the sage Rabbi Yaakov Toledano, ZTzL”H, and that of the sage Rabbi Chaim Toledano, ZTzL”H, of Salé have been clearly deciphered. Due to the fact that the manuscript was written and put out by the author, the rest of the writings can be be attributed to the “study hall” of the author of Rosh Mashbir and his disciples.
On pages 15-37: 23-page compilation from the author’s Torah, written in the very handwriting of the holy Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar, author of Ohr HaChaim , the most prominent of the author’s disciples. The Ohr HaChaim ‘s handwriting has been positively identified by comparison to another manuscript.
On leaf 216: Ancient owner’s signature in tiny Ashkenazic script: “Avraham Abeli,” which is the signature of Rabbi Abish, Av Beit Din of Frankfurt. This signature was identified and compared to his other manuscripts. There is an additional ancient owner’s inscription on the book which reinforces this conclusion: “This book belongs to the maiden Yaffah, Ms. Reichel, daughter of the rabbi, the gaon, Mr. Tzvi Hirsch ZTzLH”H son of the great pious gaon, the modest Rabbi Avram, who is Avraham ZTzLH”H, Av Beit Din of Frankfurt am Main community. There is another grandchild’s inscription: “The small one, Noach son of Tzvi Hirsch Z”L of Lissa.”
Among the sermons on the book of Bereishit, there is a beautiful commentary on all of “Eshet Chayil.” The work also includes a collection of sermons for Shabbats, festivals, and on various issues, and compilations on the Torah, Prophets, Writings and the Talmud, elucidations on the holy Rash”i’s commentary on the Torah, and eulogies, which are called “Kanaf Renanim” in a later manuscript. The eulogies are, inter alia , for the sage Rabbi Chaviv Toledano, the sage Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar (the first); the sages Rabbi Daniel and Rabbi Aharon Toledano, may G-d avenge their blood [!]; and a eulogy for his teacher the sage Rabbi Yosef Bahatit.
The sage Rabbeinu Moshe Birdugo [1671-1731], known as ‘HaMashbi”r’ (contraction of M o sh e Bir dugo), was the rabbi of Meknes and one of the all-time greatest rabbinical leaders of Morocco. He studied under his grandfather, the sage Rabbi Chaviv Toledano and the sage Rabbi Yosef Bahatit. He was appointed adjudicator for Meknes in 1715 and was devoted to studying and teaching Torah. After the passing of his uncle, the sage Rabbi Moshe Toledano, in 1723, he was appointed Av Beit Din in Meknes, which was at the time the capital of Morocco and the seat of King Mulay Ismail. Rabbeinu Moshe Birdugo was the head of the Moroccan community and his disciples included all the famous great rabbis and heads of yeshivahs, including: the sage Rabbi Yitzchak Atzban, ZTzL”H, the sage Rabbi Mordechai Atzban, ZTzL”H, the sage Rabbi Avraham Atzban, ZTzL”H, the sage Rabbi Chaim Toledano, ZTzL”H, of Salé, the sage Rabbi Yaakov son of Moshe Toledano, ZTzL”H, (the ‘Mahari”t’), the sage Rabbi Yehudah Birdugo, ZTzL”H, author of Mayim Amukim , and the sage Rabbi Mordechai Birdugo, ZTzL”H, (the ‘Marbi”tz’), who was also his son-in-law. He has merited that Torah has continued through his generations, and among his descendants, his grandson Rabbi Rephael Birdugo, ‘HaMalach Rephael’ is especially well-known.
The cadre of Rabbeinu Moshe Birdugo’s disciples includes Rabbeinu Chaim Ben-Attar, holy author of the Ohr HaChaim , about whom the sage Rabbi Yaakov Birdugo, rabbi of Meknes, author of Shofarehah D’Yaakov , testifies that author of the Ohr HaChaim was a disciple/colleague of the author of Rosh Mashbir . Indeed, in his commentary on the Torah portion Devarim (1:15) the author of Ohr HaChaim gives rare testimony about this author: ‘And I heard from the great and pious sage, great among the Jews, beloved to me as my own spirit, Rabbi Moshe Birdugo, ZLH”H’ that he was cautious during the time of judgement that his eyes be lowered, and he would not raise his eyes to the parties, as he felt that if he raised his eyes to one side, one of the parties would think that he is against him.’ Also in his book Chafetz Hash-m (Shabbat 7b) the author of Ohr HaChaim calls Rabbeinu Moshe Birdugo ‘the greatest of sages’ and testifies ‘Divine inspiration appeared and we unintentionally tuned in to it in the synagogue – myself and my brother, greatest of the great sages, Rabbi Moshe Birdugo, whose soul is bound up with my soul.’ The Chid”a also testifies in his bibliographic work Shem HaGedolim regarding the connection between the rabbi and his disciple: “And I heard from the wondrous rabbi, Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar ZLLH”H, who would speak his praises, his straightforward consideration in the depths of study .”
This manuscript was viewed by Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azoulay , the Chid”a, disciple of Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar, and in his work Shem HaGedolim (Sefarim 40, 230) he relates to him as follows: ‘And after a time, part of this work came to me in manuscript, known as Rosh Mashbir , which is on the book of Bereishit, sermons with compilations at its end, and there is a sermon [Rabbeinu Moshe Birdugo] delivered about his rabbi, the complete sage […] Rabbi Yosef Bahatit ZTzUK”L […] and Rabbi Moshe Birdugo was the Av Beit Din and head of the Meknes community.’ However, in the Kanaf Renanim edition which was printed in Jerusalem in 1931, Rabbi Yaakov Chai Birdugo, who brought it to print, refers to these words of the Chid”a’s, and comments on them: ‘The book Rosh Mashbir on Shas, which the gaon Chid”a z”l refers to in Shem HaGedolim and thought was a work of sermons, with a request for forgiveness from his Torah honor, is not precise, because his sermons were called Kanaf Renanim which I have in manuscript.’ However, as stated previously, the manuscript before us, which is a book of sermons, has the name Rosh Mashbir written on its title page, and it is the manuscript which was seen by the Chid”a, and he referred to it as such correctly. There are a number of sermons as well as the eulogy for Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar (the first) which never been printed.
With respect to the greatness of Rabbi Moshe Birdugo, we will quote from the words of Rabbi Yaakov Birdugo, rabbi of Meknes, in the introduction to the book Rosh Mashbir al HaShas [Livorno, 1840]: “And all the cities of the West sought out his light, and flocked to him and his goodness, and their eyes were opened and he was seen as G-dly, even the sages, founders of the country, the great and holy Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar ZLH”H in his books, who was a disciple/colleague of this author, ZLH”H, and the great rabbi who resembles an angel, Rabbi Malachi HaKohen, ZLH”H, in his book Yad Malachi , and finally the honorable rabbi, wonder of the generation and its glory, holy man of G-d, the Chid”a, ZTzUKLH”H, all as one testify and say that they experienced divine revelation from the greatness of this author and his sanctity, and there is no need to bring proof to something so well-known.”
Rabbeinu Chaim Ben-Attar [1696-1743] was known as the “Ohr HaChaim” or “Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh,” after the name of his famous composition on the Torah. He is counted among the great biblical commentators of the period of the Later Authorities, a commentator on the Talmud, a kabbalist and a halachic adjudicator. Most of his life – about 40 years – Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar lived in Morocco. During this time, he was known mainly among Moroccan Jews. At the age of 43, he ascended to the Land of Israel. On his way there, he traveled via Italy, where he printed the books which earned him his name throughout the Jewish diaspora. After a period wandering in the north of the Land of Israel, he settled in Jerusalem, where he established his yeshivah, Midrash Knesset Yisrael. He passed away in Jerusalem about a year after his arrival there, in the summer of 1743. The figure of Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar was unique in its admiration by the leaders of Chassidism, and has actually been adopted as an integral part of “the patriarchs of Chassidism.” This phenomenon of admiration by the Chassidim of Poland and Ukraine for a “Sephardic” sage was quite unusual, and was reserved for very exceptional individuals. Echos of this admiration also reached the areas where his disciples were active. The Chid”a, Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar’s disciple, mentions it in his work Shem HaGedolim , in the entry on the book Ohr HaChaim : “And we have heard that now in Poland, they consider it very important, and it has been printed twice more. This arose because the holy pious rabbi Rabbi Yisrael Ba’al Shem Tov spoke of the greatness of Rabbi Chaim’s soul.” It is told that the Ba’al Shem Tov, ZTzUKLH”H, from the place of his seat in Podolia, sensed the passing of the author of Ohr HaChaim , and with his passing, the BeSh”T whispered, “The Western light has been extinguished.” He even called Rabbi Chaim Ben-Attar “Unique in the generation.”
The work before us, therefore, is significant, as it constitutes rare testimony from the youth of the holy Chaim Ben-Attar, author of Ohr HaChaim , from the period when he was a student in Rabbi Moshe Birdugo’s holy study hall. In general, this volume presents an exceptional historic “greeting” from this unique Sephardic study hall, and from the lofty figure of Rabbeinu, the ‘Mashbi”r’ who was rabbi of the entire “West,” who molded the spirit of the world of commentary, drush and sod by the great rabbis of Morocco and the lands of Maghreb. The slight amount of information we have remaining from them is minimal in both quality and quantity. This surprising connection between the rabbi and his disciple, the two great lights in the skies of rabbinic Judaism in the past 300 years, is a discovery of a stunning historic document, exceptionally full of information and significance. The expert opinions of Rabbi Shimon Schwartz and Rabbi Yitzchak Yeshayah Weiss are also included with this manuscript.
267 pages including the bindings. 21×15 cm. Simple North-African rabbinic script. Fine-very fine condition. Few aging stains. Several detached leaves. Original leather binding, loose and worn.
