Tightly embroidered cloth kippah with gold and silver colored threads which was worn for many years by the kabbalist Rabbi Yehudah Pattiyah, great kabbalist of the last generation.
The G-dly kabbalist Rabbi Yehudah Moshe Pattiyah [1859-1942] was a native of Baghdad. He was rabbinically ordained by Rabbi Abdullah Somech, and was the primary disciple of the greatest kabbalist of his time, Rabbi Yosef Chaim, author of Ben Ish Chai . He authored many kabbalistic works. He was known as one of the early kabbalists expert in names and incantations. He wrote amulets and healed the sick, repaired souls and removed spirits that had entered people. In his well-known book, Ruchot Mesaprot , Rabbi Pattiyah tells of dozens of incidents in which he removed spirits that had cleaved to people. He describes there with a lengthy and wondrous description about how the spirit of Shabbetai Tzvi entered a person named Bechor and would not leave. Rabbi Pattiyah consulted with his rabbi, author of Ben Ish Chai , and other kabbalists. He interrogated Shabbetai Tzvi’s spirit, who described in detail what happened to him after his death and how he passed from one compartment of suffering to another, and how he does not even have permission to enter gehinnom. Rabbi Pattiyah arranged a rectification for him, after which Shabbetai Tzvi’s spirit entered gehinnom. Towards the end of his life, Rabbi Pattiyah ascended to the Land of Israel where he became renowned for his greatness. When the Nazi forces advanced almost unimpeded towards the Land of Israel, the leading kabbalists turned to him. He arranged a specific set of prayers, and with G-d’s mercy, Rommel’s army was repelled by the British Army near El-Alamein, which was attributed by many to Rabbi Pattiyah’s prayers. The author Chaim Sabbato aptly describes this in his book Bo’i HaRuach : “They did so with the recommendation of the leader of the group, the righteous sage from Baghdad who is expert in miracles, Rabbi Pattiyah, who, after a dream-query ordered all members of the group to go to a different place to pray …”
There is a signed confirmation from the family affirming that Rabbi Pattiyah wore this kippah for many years. Very fine condition. Diameter: 21 cm. Stains.