Midrash Hemdat Yamim on Numbers and Deuteronomy, Autograph of Shalem Shabbazi, Yemen: 1653

191 folios (8 1/4 x 6 in.; 210 x 150 mm), in two volumes. Written in black ink in Yemenite semi-cursive and square Hebrew script, 20 lines to a page; custos; modern foliation in pencil: vol.I- ff.74-160, [i]= 88 leaves; vol.II- ff.161-254, 256-263, [i]=103 leaves. Stained and soiled; corners rounded; dampstaining; some worming, expertly repaired; re-margined as necessary, some leaves extended; marginalia throughout. Modern brown morocco blind tooled, diapered pattern; titles gilt-stamped on front boards and spines. 

Shalem ben Joseph Mashta [Shabbazi], his autograph colophon on f. 263r (vol.II); Jehiel ben Aaron Habshush gave this MS to Ratzon ben Hayyim ha-Levi on 10 Sivan 5759 (May 10, 1999)-Inscription on f. 74r (vol.I).

G. Scholem, “Peraqim be-Toledot Sifrut ha-Qabbalah, IV: Sefer Hemdath Yamim by Salem Shabazi, in Qiryat Sefer 5 (1928/29), pp. 266-272; R. Joseph Kafah, Introduction (in Hebrew) to Hemdat Yamim, ed. Joseph Hasid, Jerusalem 1956, pp. 4-8. Cf. pp. 6-7.

an autograph copy of the magnum opus of rabbi shalem shabazi, preeminent Yemenite poet and scholar

Shalem ben Joseph Shabazi of the Mashta family (1619-1686) is widely recognized as the greatest of Yemenite Jewish poets and also as one of that community’s leading scholars. His most important scholarly achievement, Midrash Hemdat Yamim, is an exegetical, homiletic, philosophical and mystical Midrash. This work integrates original material by Shabbazi with an extremely broad corpus of Rabbinic literature. Among his many sources are the commentaries of Abraham Ibn Ezra, Maimonides, the Zohar and other mystical writings, medieval philosophical works, the writings of Arab scholars and a variety of Yemenite Midrashim.  Some of the works have been lost and are extant only in Hemdat Yamim.  In all, Shabbazi made use of more than fifty separate works (Gershom Scholem lists 53 separate sources while R. Joseph Kafah lists 54).

This early copy of Shabbazi’s first edition of Midrash Hemdat Yamim comprises the Midrash on Numbers and Deuteronomy and has been unequivocally identified, based on the author's characteristic handwriting, as an autograph manuscript,  The present manuscript differs significantly from the published editions (Aden 1925, Jerusalem part I: 1883, part II: 1885, Jerusalem 1856 and others). 

The colophon (f. 263v), written in rhymed prose, provides us with both the time and place of the work’s composition. 

Thus is completed Hemdat Yamim on the five books of the Torah, written by the youngest of all the disciples from Haban, dust of the feet of the sages, the smallest of the scribes, Shalem son of my master and teacher Joseph son of my master Avigad son of my master Halfon of the family of Benei Mashta. And the work was completed on the Tuesday, the fourth of Nisan, the month of redemption, may God gather our exiles, Amen. Written in the village of Nagd Walid, may it be preserved in Israel for the sake of its inhabitants, until the rebuilding of Jerusalem when they will return to their place.  In the year 1964 [Seleucid Era] (=1653 CE).

The place called Haban, to which Shabbazi refers in the colophon is the village named Qa` Huban, north of the town of Ta`izz, in southern Yemen, the site of Shabbazi’s tomb. Shabbazi then clarifies the place of the present manuscript within the continuum of development of the Midrash Hemdat Yamim.

This is the third nusha (copy) and I still hope to have the merit that God will help me and assure that my intention be for the sake of heaven. By virtue of the man with red hair and beautiful eyes. And may Zion and Jerusalem be rebuilt.

The word nusha (copy) as used here by Shabbazi does not mean a version, but an actual copy, which is the meaning of the word in Arabic. Thus it would be a mistake to assume that this is the third version of the work, but rather it is the third copy of the first version, which the author copied in order to disseminate the book for “the benefit of the masses.” 

The formation of Midrash Hemdat Yamim extended over many years.  While this manuscript was completed in 1653, and very likely reflects a date near the eventual completion of the work, Shabbazi began the work much earlier and was writing at least as early as 1646. 

We would like to thank Dr. Yosef Avivi for providing information  that aided in the cataloging of this lot. Dr. Avivi's report (Hebrew) is available upon request.