Segula: Khok L’Yisrael, one of the famous sifrei yesod. The first Hebrew book printed in Egypt, first edition Cairo 1740

Segula: Khok L’Yisrael, one of the famous sifrei yesod. The first Hebrew book printed in Egypt, first edition Cairo 1740

Khok L’Yisrael, a seder limmud for Sunday-Thursday and Friday eve, collected from the Torah with Targum Onkelus, from the Prophets with the Targum Yonatan ben Uziel, and from the Ketuvim with targum; from the Mishnah and Gemara with abbreviated Rashi’s commentary; from “kabbalah” (the Zohar). On the sides of the likkutim are kabbalistic remazim. For Friday eve, there is only the Torah and Targum Onkelus. At the top of every section is a prayer (special for every day) to be said before limmud.

The book is by Rabbi Yitzhak Baruch of Egypt and was carried out in accordance with the writings of the Ari. It was the first Hebrew book printed in Egypt, by Avraham Yatom. The book is the first and last printed by this press.

First section: Genesis and Exodus; [6], 116 leaves. This copy is missing Exodus.

Second section: Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; [2], 102, 102, 116 leaves in the original, this copy ends with the last numbering, leaf 93. Stefanski Sifrei Yesod #450. Pages are worm-eaten, wear, overall poor condition.

About the work: Because the halacha of Talmud torah determined that every Jew, regardless of his parnasa, must set times of Torah study every day, and to divide his time between mikra, Mishna, and Talmud, the Ari established a daily seder yomi featuring those three pillars of study.

The takana of daily kriyah, “Khok L’Yisrael”, the Ari established as his student Rav Chaim Vittel tells: “The Ari would study Khok L’Yisrael every day upon his return from the synagogue after eating, wrapped in his tallis and wearing his tefillin. Thus it is customary to study Khok L’Yisrael after shacharit while still wearing one’s tallis and tefillin. Also today there are talmidei chachamim who carry out this practice, and for baalei batim it is the primary method of daily learning.

Verses of Torah are read from the weekly parshah, verses of neviim are read (usually from the week’s haftarah), and verses of Ketuvim are read from Proverbs from the beginning to end (apart from the last five verses), and then five sections of Psalms. Mishnahs are determined based on the day of the week. Sunday from Zra’im, Monday from Moed, etc. The gemara is usually from the chapter of the bavli corresponding to the Mishnah, mainly light aggadic sections (Sunday and Friday feature from Brachot and Nidda). Kabbalah is from the Zohar.

The order of the verses and chapters as is customary today was first printed by Rabbi Yitzchak ben Baruch who divided the six mishnahs into six days of the week, and adapted the seder for a quick and orderly study. The Chida added excerpts of halacha and mussar to the seder and called it “Yosef L’Chok”. The work was accepted widely among the Jewish people, particularly Chassidic and Mizrahi Jews. Even the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch wrote that baalei batim should set their studies according to the work.