Sha’ar Hashamayim [prayers throughout the year]. With Psalms, Biblical readings and Ma’amadoth. Compiled with commentary by R. Isaiah Halevi Hurwitz (SHeLa”H Hakodosh)

(LITURGY).

Aaron de Salomon Antones

Amsterdam

1717

FIRST EDITION. Attractive additional engraved title with vignettes of three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the festivals of the year. Two divisional title pages

Vinograd, Amsterdam 1114

FIRST EDITION OF THE CELEBRATED SIDDUR SHELA”H According to the title, the book was published by the great-grandson of the author, Abraham Segal, son of Isaiah Segal, son of Sheftel, author of “Vavei ha-Amudim,” son of the author, R. Isaiah Segal, author of “Shnei Luchoth ha-Berith.” (The surname “Segal” is an anacronym for “Segan Leviyah,” alluding to Levitic descent.) Until recently, the identity of the “kuntressim” of Isaac Luria from which the author quotes, remained a mystery. It appears now there are two sources for the Lurianic material: R. Moses Trinco's Sepher ha-Kavanoth (Venice, 1620) and R. Menachem Azariah of Fano's Kanphei Yonah. See the Introduction to the three-volume edition of the Siddur Shela”h issued by the Chevrath Ahavath Shalom (Jerusalem 1998), under the direction of the contemporary kabbalist Rabbi Ya'akov Hillel. Rabbi Joel Sirkes (Ba”CH), one of the all-time great halachists, attests in his lead approbation (f.2v), “I have no doubt that whoever prays from this Siddur, his prayer will not go unanswered.” It is known that the great mystics would pray using the Siddur Shela”h. One such kabbalist was the founder of Chabad Chassidism, R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi. In his youth, “his order of service was according to the kavanoth (mystic intentions) in Shnei Luchoth ha-Berith and the prayer book Sha'ar ha-Shamayim.” See Ch. M. Heilman, Beith Rabbi I (Berdichev, 1900), f.1v