Midrash Talpiyot, by R. Eliyahu HaKohen of Izmir (author of Shevet Musar). Czernowitz, 1860.
Ownership inscription and signature on the title page: "For the service of my Creator, from funds of Maaser Ani, what am I, Nissim Ani" - signature of R. Nissim Eini, a Torah scholar and kabbalist of the Beit El Beit Midrash in Jerusalem.
The book contains dozens of glosses handwritten by the kabbalist R. Aharon Refael Chaim Moshe Pereira, author of Me'il Kodesh UBigdei Yesha and other books. Most of the glosses are lengthy and replete with original thoughts, including some kabbalistic matters. R. Aharon closes many of the glosses with his customary expression: "…words of truth and peace". The margins of the book were trimmed, with damage to most of the glosses.
R. Aharon Refael Chaim Moshe Pereira (d. 1887), born in Salonika. In 1848, he immigrated to Eretz Israel and settled in Jerusalem. There, he joined the Beit El yeshiva for kabbalists. His prominence in Torah and kabbalah is disclosed in the many books he composed, including Toldot Aharon UMoshe (Jerusalem 1870), Devar Hashem MiYerushalayim (Jerusalem 1873), Ohev Shalom VeRodef Shalom - Michtam Shalom Yisrael/Yerushalayim (Jerusalem 1879), Me'il Kodesh UBigdei Yesha (Jerusalem 1888), and other works. He was a wondrous man, with a prodigious personality, combining exceptional proficiency and profundity in both hidden and revealed parts of the Torah, together with exceptional devotion to the downtrodden and needy. Just like his namesake Aharon, he loved and pursued peace, and engaged extensively in promoting peace. One of his prominent disciples in Jerusalem was R. Akiva Yosef Schlesinger, who delivered a lengthy eulogy at his funeral (printed in Me'il Kodesh UBigdei Yesha, pp. 47-49).
He placed a special emphasis in his will on publishing his compositions which remained in manuscript, promising to intercede on behalf of anyone who made efforts to publish his works: "…whoever endeavors to bring pleasure to my soul… I too will intercede on their behalf and on behalf of all the members of their household, with all my might from my place in the World to Come, that G-d should recompense their deeds and that their reward should be full in this world and in the World to Come". His disciple R. Schlesinger also related (in the above-mentioned eulogy) that on the eve of his passing, R. Pereira asked him to ensure his book gets published. In his conclusion to the eulogy, R. Schlesinger again mentions the publishing of the books, "…since he already commanded in all his wills… whoever assists in publishing his holy books, he is prepared to pray before G-d from his place on behalf of all those who involve themselves…".
One of his colleagues in the Beit El yeshiva was R. Nissim Eini (d. 1900), a leading Iraqi Torah scholar and kabbalist. He was a close disciple of R. Abdallah Somech. He immigrated to Eretz Israel in 1856 and settled in Jerusalem. He was a close friend of R. Eliyahu Mani, first when they studied together under R. Abdallah Somech, and later in the Beit El yeshiva in Jerusalem. He was renowned as an eminent kabbalist, and toiled extensively over correcting and clarifying the accurate texts of kabbalistic books and works by the Arizal. He edited (together with R. Yitzchak Calamaro) the second edition of the book Divrei Shalom by R. Refael Avraham Shalom Mizrachi (grandson of the Rashash), adding his glosses under the acronym "A.N.I." (=I, Nissim). He would customarily sign: "What am I, Nissim Ani".
[1], 246 leaves. Without leaf of approbations following title page. 23.5 cm. Margins trimmed, affecting many glosses. Good condition. Stains. Old binding.