Estimated Price:

$200,000 - $400,000

Realized Price:

$185,000

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Rings of the Rashash. His Personal Holy Stamp. Additional Stamp for Protection and Segula.Two gold rings with two seals of Rabbi Shalom Mizrachi Sharabi, head of the Jerusalem Sages and the Beit El Kabalist Yeshiva.Two stamps.First stamp. Engraved with the name שלום מזרחי דידיע שרעבי. 13x15 cm. Square-octagon shape. The seal is set in a gold ring. This was the Rabbi's personal seal, used to stamp special letters. The text is engraved in 'mirror writing' [backwards] designated for wax seals.Second stamp. The initials of the אנא בכח prayer, forming kabalistic names. 11x14 mm. Rectangular-octagon shape. The seal is set in a gold ring. The text is in clear letters, not mirror-image, since they served as a segula as-is. Rabbi Shalom Mizrachi Sharabi, known by the appellation Rashash, was one of the most prominent Kabalists from the time of the AR"I until present times. He was born in Yemen. He was the most distinguished Sephardic Kabalist. In his youth, he immigrated from Sa'ana to Eretz Yisrael, via Damascus. In Damascus he was involved in the controversy regarding the 'proper meditations [kavanot] for the consumption of the kizayit of matzah at the seder night'. After reaching Jerusalem, he joined the Beit El Kabalist yeshiva, which was then headed by its founder, renowned Rabbi Gedalia Chiyun. According to tradition, the Rashash concealed his vast Torah knowledge, and served as the beadle in the beis medrash. However, it was discovered that he was the one concealing notes in his teacher's drawer with the solutions to the complicated Kabalistic questions raised during the learning sessions. His greatness exposed, he joined the group of Kabalists.After Rabbi Gedalia Chiyun's death in [1751], the Rashash was appointed Rosh Yeshiva of the kabalists, and his name was soon celebrated. He was Heavenly inspired, similar to the Holy AR"I. Under the guidance of the Rashash, the sages of Beit El concentrated on the Torah of the AR"I, according to the writings of his disciple Rabbi Chaim Vital, and became known as a closed, secretive Kabalistic group. The Rashash designated the Yeshiva agenda, but at the same time, was an active Jerusalem sage who signed on a number of Jerusalem regulations and on the Shtar Hitkashrut of the Beit El sages.>> It is told that Rabbi Yom Tov Algzai returned from the next world in order to sign on this Kitav Hitkashrut. [I heard this from Prof. Meir Binyahu, who was positive that these events were historical truths. He showed me copies of documents verifying the stories. A.Y.F.]>> Hundreds of wonder stories are related about him, miracle cures and the revelation of Elijah the prophet. His kabalistic kavanot on the prayers for the entire year are especially renowned. This prayer book is popular throughout the Jewish kabalistic world today. The Sephardi Kabalists composed an extensive library of literature of annotations and commentaries on this prayer book. The 'Sidurei Kavanot HaRashash' is widely popular amongst Sephardim, Ashkenazim, Chassidim and those who are not Chassidim, and not only amongst Kabalists. The Rashash expressed his Kabalistic philosophies in his Emet V'Shalom and Nahar Shalom which are based on the torah of the AR"I and his disciple Rabbi Chaim Vital. The existence of the Jerusalem kabalist yeshiva which operated for two centuries after his death was based on his Kabalistic bequest, particularly in regards to the Kavanot which he commentated and revealed and in his 'sod' behaviors.In his Toldot Ahron U'Moshe, printed in Jerusalem [1870], the author Kabalist Rabbi Ahron Eliyahu Refael Chaim Fereira writes: והרש"ש רוח ה' דיבר בו..ואין לנו להרהר אחריו כלל כמו אחר הרח"ו והאר"י>> The Rashash, the owner of these rings, was a link in the chain of Kabala transmitters: the AR"I - Rabbi Chaim Vital - Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, the Rashash.As mentioned included in the extensive spiritual bequest of the Rashash, is the segulot that he revealed for particular issues, as his prominent disciple Rabbi Efraim Becher testified, in his Das Yehudis, Jerusalem 1878, in his preface to the leaf titled סגולות מהרב...שר שלום שרעבי. That: סגולות לחולי אבעבועות ולזמן המגפה והן הנה בדוקים ומנוסים...מהרב החסיד המקובל רב שרלום שרעבי זי"ע.The Rashash signed his full name שלום מזרחי דידיע שרעבי, and was known by the appellation Rashash or Shamash, both initials of his name. The אנא בכוח prayer, attributed to Tanya Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKane, was a central, magical theme in Kabalistic traditions, particularly when written as initials so that they create holy sheimot, known to bring about segulot and salvations.>> The existence of these stamps was first mentioned in Segulot Yisrael, printed in Warsaw [1845]. The author, Rabbi Shimon Halperin listed a few of the Rashash's segulots and added היה לו טבעת זהב חקוק עליה השם של 'אנא בכח' שהיה עוד מצדיקים קדמונים... .This אנא בכח ring, along with this personal stamp, were owned by the Rashash's family in Jerusalem. They were then purchased by kabalist Rabbi Yosef br. Shimon Hoffman, disciple of prominent Aleppo kabalist, Rabbi Chaim Shaul Dweck. A photograph of both these stamps was printed by R' Yaakov Shaom Fanger, in Ohr HaShemesh, biography of the Rashash, Jerusalem 1970, p. 62, 95. He thanks the grandchildren of Rabbi Hoffman for allowing him to photograph the rings.As mentioned, Kabalist Rabbi Yosef Hoffman was a sage in the Beit El yeshiva. He was the disciple of Rabbi Chaim Shaul Dweck of Aleppo, and a friend of the Admor Beis Yisrael of Gur. He purchased these two segula stamps in the previous century, from the grandsons of the Rashash. Rabbi Yosef Hoffman was known as the Baal HaMeor for his conscientious efforts to provide candles for the Jerusalem beis medrashim, and for his frequent his trips to Meron on every erev Rosh Chodesh, to light oil candles at the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.These stamps reached us from the grandchildren of Kabalist, Rabbi Hoffman. These are two personal stamps of the celebrated Sephardic Kabalist and transmitter of the traditions of the ARI. Historic, museum items. Exceptionally rare and important. Included with confirmations from the family of Rabbi Yosef Hoffman, in addition to a confirmation regarding the gold ring and the source of the stones with the engraved name of the Rashash and the אנא בכח segula. Included is a detailed letter from the inheritors of the aforementioned Kabalist, regarding the biography of Rabbi Hoffman and a description of how he acquired the two rings from the grandchildren of the Rashash. The letter is signed by Rebbetzin Sarah Zandberg, daughter-in-law of the Kabalist.Included is the professional opinion of Prof. Shalom Sabar. His opinion relates to historic and artistic aspects, the age of the stones within the discussed seal, and the two gold rings that hold them. These confirmations will be provided upon request.