Hacham Yosef Hayyim of Baghdad (1833-1909) was one of the most brilliant and prolific Sefardic sages of his time. Best known for his halachic work, the Ben Ish Hai, he wrote over seventy books on all areas of Torah study, from responsa to mussar to Kabbalah. He was the undisputed leader of Sefardic Jewry, and his work remains one of the major influences on the world of Torah today. The Ben Ish Hai Anthology offers a select translation of Otzrot Hayyim, a thirty-five volume encyclopedia of the writings of H. Yosef Hayyim, published by Yeshivat Ahavat Shalom of Jerusalem. Each volume of Otzrot Hayyim is a collection of the Ben Ish Hai's teachings on specific topics, such as Torah, Prayer, Repentance, Jewish Holidays, etc. In the Ben Ish Hai Anthology, these teachings have been made available to the English-speaking public for the first time. In this volume, Dawn Of A Nation, The Ben Ish Hai analyzes the early history of the Jewish people, from the roots of the Egyptian bondage to the miracles of the exodus. He discusses the forty years of wandering in the desert, and sheds new light on the reactions of both mankind and the heavenly hosts to Israel's acceptance of the Torah.
by Hacham Yosef Hayyim