CHEFETZ HASHEM BY RABBI CHAIM BEN ATAR (1696-1743) –...

CHEFETZ HASHEM BY RABBI CHAIM BEN ATAR (1696-1743) – THE ‘OR HACHAIM HAKADOSH’, AMSTERDAM 1732 – FIRST EDITION .

Chefetz Hashem: Rabbinic homilies on Massechtos Berachoth, Shabbath, Horayoth and Chullin – first published work of the great and holy Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar.

Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar was born in Sali, Morocco, where he studied Torah under his grandfather and later headed a large Yeshiva there. The Rabbis of Sali in their approbation to his first published work – Chefetz Hashem – refer to him most exceptionally with the titles ‘Ish Elokim kadosh hu bedoreinu’ This work also has most complementary approbations by great Moroccan Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda Ben Atar and Rabbi Yaakov Ben Tzur, in addition to the those of the Rabbis of Amsterdam, where he travelled for its publication.

In 1739 Rabbi Chaim travelled to Algiers and from there to Livorno in Italy, where he published his monumental Torah commentary Or Hachaim. From there he left for Eretz Yisrael in 1741 together with 30 of his disciples and their families, with whom he established Yeshivath Kenesseth Yisrael in Jerusalem.

The fame of the Or Hachaim Hakadosh spread far and wide, particularly after it became known that the Baal Shem Tov had praised him greatly and had hoped to meet him, and Chassidic leaders encouraged their followers to study his works.

[2], 71 pp. Page 2 is mis-bound after page 17. 18x29.5 cm. Good condition. Slight worming on a number of pages, slightly affecting text. New leather binding.