The "Siddur HaShelah, " the personal copy of the kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Zerachiah Segal; a handwritten ...

The "Siddur HaShelah, " the personal copy of the kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Zerachiah Segal; a handwritten gloss in his handwriting

"Whoever prays from it, his prayer will not return empty!" (The Bach in his approbation to the Siddur)

Siddur Sha'ar HaShamayim, in two parts, includes prayers for the entire year, including the High Holidays and the Passover Haggadah. Authored by Rabbi Isaiah Halevi, the "Shelah HaKadosh"—the prayer book that great Admorim and Kabbalists cherished for prayer, based on the promise of Rabbi Joel Sirkis, the "Bach, " that whoever prays from it is assured that his prayers will be accepted.

This is the personal copy of the hidden tzaddikim's mentor, the divine kabbalist and miracle worker Rabbi Yehuda Zerachiah Halevi Segal, a descendant of the Shelah HaKadosh. On the front flyleaf, there is a dedication from the donor to Rabbi Yehuda Zerachiah Segal, along with the kabbalist’s personal stamp.

On the reverse of the page, there is an inscription in the name of his widow, the Rebbetzin Segal, stating that the rabbi frequently prayed from this Siddur.

Throughout the siddur, numerous signs of use are visible, particularly in the Mussaf prayers for the three festivals, in the Rosh Hashanah prayers, and in the order of reading the Megillah. In the Motza'ei Shabbat prayers (page 205a), a kabbalistic gloss appears in the handwriting of Rabbi Zerachiah Segal, correcting the spelling and vocalization of one of the invocations of the name "Elijah the Prophet."

(There is a known mystical list used to attain divine inspiration, in which one recites the name "Elijah the Prophet" 130 times, each time with different spellings and vocalizations. One of these invocations was printed incorrectly, seemingly to prevent unworthy individuals from misusing this sacred technique. Rabbi Zerachiah Segal corrected and restored it properly in his own handwriting.)

Published by Yeshivat Beit Midrash HaShelah HaKadosh, in the Old City. Jerusalem, 1985.

[3] leaves, 694 pages, [1] leaf. Approx. 17 cm.

Condition: Very good. Handwritten gloss. Many signs of use. Ownership stamps and inscriptions.

Biography of Rabbi Yehuda Zerachiah Segal

Rabbi Yehuda Zerachiah Mordechai Leib Chaim Halevi Segal (1924–2001), known as the mentor of the Lamed-Vav (36) hidden tzaddikim, served as the chief rabbi of Kiryat Shalom, Tel Aviv, for fifty years. He was born in Jerusalem to Rabbi Sheftel Segal, a descendant of the Shelah, and was named after Rabbi Sheftel, the Shelah’s son, who originally published the siddur. His maternal grandfather was Rabbi Bechor Chaim Yosef David Azulai, a descendant of the Chida.

At the age of eight, he delivered a eulogy at the funeral of his grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Mendelbaum of Jerusalem. This was an extraordinary event, as eulogies by children were highly unusual. The other two eulogists at the funeral were two of the greatest rabbis of Jerusalem: Rabbi Kook and Rabbi Yosef Gershon Horowitz.

As a young man, he studied at Yeshivat Lomza in Petach Tikvah, where he was a student of Rabbi Shach and shared a room with him for a period. During that time, he was also closely connected to the Chazon Ish. He passed away childless. His Torah insights were published in "Chiddushei Rabbi Yehuda Zerachiah." His teachings also appear in his father's work, "Divrei Rabbeinu Sheftel." His life story is detailed in the book "HaTzaddik Pele" (The Wondrous Tzaddik).

The Chazon Ish referred to him as "a lion among lions." Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Wosner described him as "the wondrous sage, a miracle worker." The Pnei Menachem of Gur wrote about him:

"Once he deeply yearned to see his ancestor in a dream… and indeed, his ancestor revealed himself to him. From this, we see that through intense longing, it is possible to elicit revelations from the upper world." (See attached facsimile.)

The Special Power of the Shelah's Siddur

In the Shelah's ethical will, printed at the beginning of the siddur, he wrote:

"It entered my thoughts to compose this holy work, so that it would be printed and spread among all of Israel, ensuring that I would have a merit and a share in all the prayers of the Jewish people."

The prayer from this Siddur is known to have a special power, ensuring that the prayers will be accepted and not return empty. As the Bach wrote in his approbation to the Siddur:

"There is no doubt among us that when this Siddur spreads among Israel, whoever prays from it—his prayer will not return empty."

The first Rebbe of Sadigura stated in his approbation:

"There is no doubt that anyone who prays from this will not have his prayer returned empty."

Rabbi Naftali Katz, author of "Semichat Chachamim, " wrote:

"The Shelah made his descendants swear that they would publish this prayer book to benefit the public, so that people would pray in this order and with these intentions. He established a covenant that if they did so with full devotion, their prayers would certainly be accepted."