Novelties - Two pages in the handwritten of Rabbi David Oppenheiצ, rabbi of Niklesburg and Prague and chief rabbi of the state of Moravia. Prague, early 18th century. Not printed!
The leaf before us is part of his essay "Ir David" which was not printed. Parts of the manuscript are now in a number of public libraries around the world and in private collections. He wrote the essay in the form of "houses" where each subject is called a "house".
Before us is a page 32 with three "houses". "Beit Milchama", "Beit HaYetzer", and "Beit Milot".
In "Beit Milchama" it explains a contradiction between what is written in the book of Divrei HaYamim and the book of Samuel regarding the number of dead killed by Adino HaEtzni (who was one of the Sanhedrin sages and one of the heroes of David) at one time.
In the section "Beit HaYetzer" a wonderful innovation is revealed in the Gemara of Sukkah in what is said that in the future there will be a eulogy for the "Yetzer HaRah" that which will kill. And what is the point of eulogizing the evil instinct, whose entire essence is evil, what is the reason to cry about cry when it is slaughtered? And explain that the cry is about the reality of "גדול המצווה ועושה מאינו מצווה ועושה" that will disappear from the world, that thanks to it, man earns his reward, and when the evil disappears, they will no longer be able to earn reward for overcoming it, and how much sorrow there will be in that, which is itself stated in the Gemara, will do a eulogy. In the "House of Words" section, he explains that the Torah paid attention to the meaning of the words, not the words themselves.
Rabbi David Oppenheim [1664 - 1736], one of the great Ashkenazi geniuses, one of the most important rabbis and sages of his generation, and the generations to come. Born in Worms to Rabbi Avraham Oppenheim, his teachers were Rabbi Gershon Ashkenazi of Metz, and Rabbi Yitzchak Binyamin Wolf of Ladensberg. Later he also studied with Rabbi Jacob Zak Ashkenazi (the father of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Ashkenazi), and with Rabbi Benjamin Wolf Epstein in Friedberg. In his youth, he became friends with Rabbi Yair Chaim Bakrach, the owner of the "Havat Yair", and was in correspondence with him. When he was about 20 years old he appointed for Hora'ah, and at the age of 25 he was appointed rabbi of Niklešburg. After twenty years in Niklešburg he became the rabbi of the city of Prague. The great rabbis of his generation asked for his approvals on their books. 70 of his approvals are known, appearing in the heads of the books of Gaoni Yisrael in his generation. He authored about twenty books on halacha and Agada, including the book "Nishal David". He deceased and was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Prague.
[2] pages. 20x15 cm. Very good condition.
