Handwritten & Autographed Manuscript of Kol Dodi by Rabbi David Suleiman Sassoon. Bombay ...

Handwritten & Autographed Manuscript of Kol Dodi by Rabbi David Suleiman Sassoon. Bombay, 1896

Comprehensive work on Hilchos Shabbos by Rabbi David Suleiman Sassoon. This sefer was authored when Rabbi David was only 15 years old!

On the title page, the author inscribes: “I began compiling, creating and authoring sefer Kol Dodi on Rosh Chodesh Marcheshvan, 5656 (1896). I am the humble author David Suleiman Sassoon, may Hashem help me for the sake of His Holy Name to finish and complete it. Amen!”

In his preface to the sefer, the author explains that his objective is to compile all laws regarding the holy Shabbos that are necessary and relevant to every Jew. He describes that he collected material from many teachers and sefarim and then arranged it all in a clear, orderly fashion. He dedicates words of thanks to his mother “who endeavors with all her strength to teach us Torah and wisdom so we shall walk in the good path.”

In Kol Dodi, Rabbi Sassoon presents the laws of Shabbos in great detail, beginning with the laws of preparing for Shabbos and concluding with Tefillas Arvis on Leil Shabbos.

Rabbi David Suleiman Sassoon (1881-1942) was born in Bombay. In his early youth, his parents hired illustrious Torah scholars from Baghdad to teach him Torah, and he made great strides in his religious studies. Later in life, he was renowned as a great philanthropist who supported numerous Torah institutions and religious infrastructure in England while never swaying from Jewish tradition. He was also a world-renowned Jewish books and manuscripts collector, and his extensive Jewish library is described at length in the Ohel David Catalog.

Bombay, 1896. [4] leaves. 54 sides + many blank pages.

Handwritten, autographed manuscript in good condition with attractive leather binding.

Bibliography: A. Ben Yaakov. Chapters in the History of Babylonian Jewry Vol. 1 Ch. 5.