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Among his many sefarim, the Ben Ish Chai wrote the Ben Yehoyada and the Benayahu, each an exposition on the Aggadita in the Gemara. First he wrote the Ben Yehoyada, then the Benayahu.

Why are they two different sefarim with two different names? Are they materially different in their objectives, or what they cover? Why did the Ben Ish Chai not print the Benayahu as just the next volume (or a reprinting) of the Ben Yehoyada?

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It writes here the following:

Rabbi Yosef Chaim (1835-1909) devoted some time each day to lecturing. Every morning, after completing the shacharit prayer, he would deliver a lecture in Talmud in the Small Synagogue. He laid special emphasis on explaining the Aggadic passages of the Talmud. In time, his expositions of these passages were published in Ben Yehoyada, followed some years later by a second work, Benayahu.

It would seem from this that the seforim were based on his shiurim and the two separate sets were just a chronological result of when they were recorded and published.

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  • Basically this. He added new material, and had enough that it deserved its own book.
    – N.T.
    Jul 28, 2022 at 2:34
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    I think it's even in his introduction to Benayahu. Also, I would just add that Ben Yehoyada has more but shorter pieces, while Benayahu has fewer but longer pieces.
    – MDjava
    Jul 28, 2022 at 15:31

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