Nishmas Shlomo Mordechai is a commentary on the ten
chapters of Choker Umekubal by HaRav Moshe Chaim
Luzatto, written by "Aharon Moshe son of the great Rav
Mordechai, zt'l, son of HaRav Yaakov, zt'l, av beis
din of Lida and grandson of the great gaon HaRav
Shmuel, author of Beis Shmuel on the Shulchan
Oruch and son-in-law of the holy luminary and gaon
HaRav Leib, zt'l, who was av beis din and
ram in Cracow and the grandson of the great Maharal of
Prague."
Says the Holy Zohar, "All depends on fortune, even
[the fate of] a sefer Torah in the heichal"
(Parshas Nosso, 134). Today we have the fortune of
discovering this shining light, hidden for years and years:
Choker Umekubal by the Ramchal zt'l with the
commentary Nishmas Chaim Shlomo Mordechai, based on
chochmas hanistar. The author demonstrates clearly
that the Ramchal's entire work consists of sparks of light
from Torah with solid sources.
The second part of the book the Ramchal writes in the form of
a debate between the "choker" (rationalist) and the
"mekubal" (kabbalist) in an attempt to prove
why it is necessary to know and understand this part of the
Torah. In clear language he weaves together fundamentals and
principles and makes them understood so as to allow the
learned to explore their depths.
We cannot fully appreciate the words of the Ari HaKadosh and
the Ramchal, may their merit protect us, and we lack the
ability to gauge their tremendous value and importance.
Nishmas Shlomo Mordechai is not well known, although
it is the only known sefer to reveal that the
Ramchal's works were drawn from the springs--the source of
the life- giving waters--of writings by the Ari HaKadosh.
The gedolei hador from the author's own generation
provided haskomos: the Ram of Padua, the av beis
din of Brisk, who was known to avoid all exaggeration yet
referred to the author as "harav hechorif beTorah veyiras
Hashem"; the Baal HaOneg Yom Tov who wrote while in
Mezritsh, "I had the merit of meeting the great rov . . . and
I saw the sefer, small quantity but great in quality .
. . a fabulous elucidation of ten chapters that yield
bounteous fruits . . . "; Rav Yehoshua Friedenzhon, son of
the great Rav Sholom Yehuda Leib of Kalna, who is not well
known (and we would appreciate anyone can provide more
details about him) who wrote, "All the days of his life on
earth he dedicated wholly to Shas and poskim
and was a marbitz Torah as well."
The author's own introduction is itself significant. It notes
that the sefer is accessible even to those who have
not crossed the threshold of the "beis medrash of the
Toras hanistar" and includes an extended explanation
of the importance and pressing obligation for every
individual in the nation of Israel, particularly talmidei
chachomim, to say Tikkun Chatzos. Furthermore the
introduction says some mekubolim hold that it can be
said at the beginning of the second third of the night, and
therefore those who are unable to say it at midnight can say
it before retiring for the night.
At the end of the sefer the author explains that he
wrote a commentary on Medrash Tanchuma called Dvar
Tov and pledged to make a concerted effort to have it
printed when he reached the "Holy Place," but it is not known
if he ever arrived in Eretz Hakodesh and/or brought his book,
Dvar Tov, to the light of print.
The author called his book Nishmas Shlomo Mordechai as
a "monument" for his son, Shlomo Mordechai, who was taken to
beis olomo at a tender age. Interestingly the title
page does not record the city or year in which the book was
printed. Rav Chaim Friedlander writes that "Nishmas
Mordechai" was printed in Johannesburg in 5612 (1852),
but the source of his information is unknown, along with the
reason why part of the author's son's name was deleted.
We would be glad to receive any further details on the above
as well as notes regarding printing errors at POB 36005,
Jerusalem.
*
The present edition, Choker Umekubal, with the
Nishmas Shlomo Mordechai commentary, is dedicated to
Rebbetzin Ettel Dina a'h, daughter of Maran HaRav
Yosef Sholom Eliashiv ylct'a--a descendent Rabbenu
HaAri HaKadosh, on whose words of eternal light this book is
based from start to finish. For fifty years this
distinguished tzadekes and eshes chayil had the
merit of lighting the path and educating benos Yisroel
and guiding them along the way of Hashem. She had radiance
and a yearning soul. Today the seedlings she planted are
bearing fine fruits, and her legacy testifies to her stature.
Her greatness was accompanied by humility; she helped the
poor discretely and shied away from honor--a stream of
chesed poured forth from her.
May her soul be gathered in eternal life.
