Rinas Dodim, by Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem, Basel 1600 – First Edition
Rinas Dodim, a commentary on Shir HaShirim, by Rabbi Eliyahu Loanz, known as Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem, Basel 1600 – First Edition.
The holy author recounts how he had long desired to publish his seforim and commentaries but, residing peacefully in the kehillah of Frankfurt am Main, he lacked the time to write. However, due to the "treachery of the times, " he was forced to leave and relocate to a place with few of our people (Basel) and sat there "under the shadow of fear." Therefore, he hastened to fulfill his vow and publish his seforim.
The holy mekubal, Rabbi Eliyahu Loanz, Baal Shem (1564–1631), was a gaon and holy mekubal, a great rav and posek. He was a leading talmid of the Maharal of Prague and the Tosfos Yom Tov. He served as the rav of major kehillos in Ashkenaz, including Hanau, Fulda, Friedberg, and Mainz, and was primarily known as the rav of Worms, where he also headed the large yeshiva. Rabbi Eliyahu was renowned for his practical kabbalah and was famous for the special amulets he wrote for healing and protection. The Chida writes that he saw a handwritten commentary on the Zohar by Rabbi Eliyahu, "…and I saw in Amsterdam a manuscript of a commentary on the Zohar by the gaon Rabbi Eliyahu ben the gaon Rabbi Moshe Loanz, who was from the family of Rashi…" (Sheim HaGedolim, letter mem, entry 98). His talmid and successor in the hidden matters of kabbalah and amulets was Rabbi Yoel Baal Shem of Zamość, the ancestor of the holy Baal Shem Tov, Zy”a.
