DATE

Year: 1913

Decade: 1910s

Century: 20th (1901-2000)

Bucharian Juseo-Persian translation into Hebrew letters of R. Joseph Hayyim ben Elijah al-Hakham’s (Ben Ish Hai) Nifla’im Ma’aschah by R. Israel Gool Shauloff. The title page states that these stories are true, awesome, and wondrous, found in books of derushim by the admor R. Joseph Hayyim. They have been copied and translated by into Persian as spoken in Bukhara ad neighboring locations. There areintroductions from the translator’s son and from the translator, a table of contents enumerating the fourteen tales in Ma’asiyot Nifla’im and then the text in square unvocalized Hebrew.R. Joseph Hayyim ben Elijah al-Hakham (Ben Ish Hai, 1833 or 1835–1909,) was rabbi in Baghdad. He was the son of R. Elijah al-?akam and the father of Jacob al-?akam. Born in Baghdad, he studied with his maternal uncle, David ?ai b. Meir. In 1848 he began to study under R. Abdallah Somekh . He succeeded his father (1859) as preacher, a post he held until his death. In 1869 he visited Erez Israel. In 1876 Jacob Obermeier of Vienna , who had come to Baghdad to teach French, insulted R. Joseph ?ayyim. The community excommunicated him and compelled him to request the rabbi’s pardon. Al-Hakam was renowned as a great halakhic authority who instituted many takkanot. He wrote some 60 works on all aspects of Torah, only a few of which have been published. He is best known for his Ben Ish ?ai (1898), homilies blended with halakhah and Kabbalah. This work achieved immense popularity, particularly in Oriental communities, where it is studied extensively and has gone through many editions. His other published works include Ben Yehoyada (1898–1904), five volumes of commentaries to the aggadic portions of the Babylonian Talmud and Rav Pe’alim (1901–12), responsa. He wrote approximately 200 piyyutim and pizmonim, about 50 of which are incorporated in the liturgy of Baghdad Jewry; the rest are still in manuscript.

ARTISTS

Name: R. Israel Gool Shauloff
Type: Translator
Name: R. Joseph Hayyim ben Elijah al-Hakham’s (Ben Ish Hai)
Type: Author
Artist Information: R. Joseph Hayyim ben Elijah al-Hakham (Ben Ish Hai, 1833 or 1835–1909,) was rabbi in Baghdad. He was the son of R. Elijah al-?akam and the father of Jacob al-?akam. Born in Baghdad, he studied with his maternal uncle, David ?ai b. Meir. In 1848 he began to study under R. Abdallah Somekh . He succeeded his father (1859) as preacher, a post he held until his death. In 1869 he visited Erez Israel. In 1876 Jacob Obermeier of Vienna , who had come to Baghdad to teach French, insulted R. Joseph ?ayyim. The community excommunicated him and compelled him to request the rabbi's pardon. Al-Hakam was renowned as a great halakhic authority who instituted many takkanot. He wrote some 60 works on all aspects of Torah, only a few of which have been published. He is best known for his Ben Ish ?ai (1898), homilies blended with halakhah and Kabbalah. This work achieved immense popularity, particularly in Oriental communities, where it is studied extensively and has gone through many editions. His other published works include Ben Yehoyada (1898–1904), five volumes of commentaries to the aggadic portions of the Babylonian Talmud and Rav Pe'alim (1901–12), responsa. He wrote approximately 200 piyyutim and pizmonim, about 50 of which are incorporated in the liturgy of Baghdad Jewry; the rest are still in manuscript.