Two pages on Kabbalistic topics and protection from damagers – some parts have never been printed – entirely handwritten by the G-dly Kabbalist Rabbi Shalom Shabzi, leading Yemenite poet. According to the famous Yemenite tradition, he would merit journeying by kefitzat haderech from Yemen to the Land of Israel every Shabbat eve. This manuscript is from the never-printed first edition of his book Chemdat Yamim . Yemen, c. 1640.
This manuscript is from the Rasha”sh’s renowned commentary on the Torah, Chemdat Yamim – parashot Bo and Beshalach. Although the manuscript was typographically set and completely ready for print, including the Tosefet Ta’am elucidation on the sides of the pages, there are also entire passages that were not printed in the book (refer to the attached picture). It appears, therefore, that this is a rare leaf from the mahadura kamma of his book Chemdat Yamim , which the Rasha”sh completed in 1646; it was never printed. (The text that was eventually printed is from the mahadura batra of the manuscript written by the Rasha”sh in later years; refer to Kovetz Ma’amarim from the 350th anniversary of his birth, published by Va’ad HaKlali L’Kehillat HaTeimanim, Jerusalem, 1972 page 10.) This is apparently a rare leaf from that first edition, which was never printed, and was known of until today only by tradition!
This manuscript deals, inter alia , with defense against all types of klipot and prosecutors that attempted to prevent Bnei Yisrael from leaving the tumah of Egypt: The “dog” and “snake” klipot ; anger and ‘wrath’ and the ‘Shabtai’ klipah that ruled over the desert, and the methods of self-defense used by Bnei Yisrael to protect themselves from them. As such, aside from the historic importance and discoveries here, this manuscript can be used as a powerful amulet for protection due to the Names written in it by the Rasha”sh, one of the two giants born in the Yemenite exile from the day of their exile from the Holy Land.
Refer to the Hebrew catalog text for a brief biography of Rabbi Shalom Shabazi .
[2] pp, approximately 15×21 cm.
Fine-very fine condition.