Semichat Chachamim, Part I - Birkat Hashem - Preface to Semichat Chachamim, and Part II - Kedusha UBeracha, novellae on tractate Berachot, by the kabbalist R. Naftali HaKohen Katz, rabbi of Frankfurt am Main. Frankfurt am Main, [1704-1706]. First edition.
Two elaborate woodcut title pages. The first title page is followed by a plate featuring a star-shaped poem.
Early signatures.
On p. 20b of the second sequence, there is a lengthy scholarly gloss handwritten and signed by the Aderet, in which he sharply objects to the words of the author, signed: "Eliyahu David son of R. B. Teomim".
Based on the handwriting, the gloss appears to have been written in his youth.
R. Eliyahu David Rabinowitz Teomim - the Aderet (1845-1905), rabbi of Ponevezh, Mir and Jerusalem and a prominent Torah scholar.
78; [1], 140 leaves (lacking leaf 79 of first sequence. Leaves 45-47 of first sequence and 138-139 of second sequence bound out of order). 32 cm. Fair condition. Stains and wear. Open tears to first leaves and several other leaves, affecting text in some places (including damage to border of first title page, minor damage to second title page, and damage to second leaf - star-shaped poem). Tears repaired with paper (with photocopy replacement of small parts of title page illustrations and of poem text). Worming, affecting text of several leaves. Stamps and handwritten inscriptions. Several leaves may have been supplied from a different copy. New binding.