Ben Ish Chai. Manuscript Derasha by one the greatest and most revered Sephardic greats. 19 Sides !

Ben Ish Chai. Manuscript Derasha by one the greatest and most revered Sephardic greats. 19 Sides !
“One who withstands (these challenges) will receive great reward in the world to come, and will be accepted and beloved by the Almighty”.
Lengthy well preserved 19-page manuscript of a handwritten Derasha by the legendary Ben Ish Chai, Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim of Baghdad. The Ben Ish Chai begins this unique Derasha by offering various novel interpretations on a verse in Tehillim, and then proceeds to lecture extensively on the foibles of the Yetzer Hara, noting that often “achdus” (unity) is required so that one may help his fellow Jew combat the evil inclination. Among other topics, this Derasha also focuses on Teshuva and the reward promised to one who succeeds in overcoming his challenges.
The Ben Ish Chai would give a Derasha to the masses every Shabbos in the Beis Knesses “Tzalat al Ziere”, the smaller shul with 1000 seats, and four times a year he would speak in the Great Synagogue “Tzalat al Kabire” to a crowd of many thousands of enthusiastic listeners. These Derashos were known far and wide for their uplifting and inspirational message, as well as for the wide variety of sources and themes that were woven masterfully together, as evidenced in part by the present sample.
Rabbeinu Yosef Chaim (1835-1909), was born in Baghdad, where his father, Chacham Eliyahu Chaim, was an active leader of the Jewish community. His extraordinary talents were evident from a young age. Upon the passing of Chacham Eliyahu Chaim, the Jews of Baghdad looked to the Ben Ish Chai to fill his father’s place as the leading rabbinic scholar of Baghdad, despite the fact that he was only twenty-five years old at the time. He was widely considered to be an expert authority on Jewish law throughout the Middle East, and his halachic decisions were considered to be authoritative even beyond the confines of the local Sephardic communities. Acknowledged as a leading Chacham and a great Kabbalist, he was greatly revered by Sephardim and Ashkenazim, scholars and laymen alike. A prolific writer, he authored over thirty works, among them his most famous work Ben Ish Chai, which contains selections from his Derashos on Halacha and Aggada, as well as the halachic responsa Rav Pe’alim. His Ben Yehoyada and Benayahu, a commentary on the Talmud, is considered a basic resource in understanding the Aggada.
Opening bid $6500