Tola’at Yaakov by the Kabbalist Rabbi Meir Ibn Gabbai. Constantinople 1560. First Edition.

Tola’at Yaakov by the Kabbalist Rabbi Meir Ibn Gabbai. Constantinople 1560. First Edition.

Elucidation on prayers as per the PaRDeS model, by Rabbi Meir Ibn Gabbai- A leading Kabbalist who lived during the era of the Spanish Inquisition. Tola’at Yaakov is the first of a number of significant Kabbalah compositions that Rabbi Meir authored. He completed this great work when he was only 26 years old!.

From this composition we learn that his locale’s practice was to commence the Pesukei D’Zimrah section of prayers with ‘Hodu’ as opposed to ‘Baruch She’amar’.

Rabbi Meir son of Yechezkel Ibn Gabbai was a leading Kabbalist at the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Among his prominent Kabbalah compositions are Avodat HaKodesh and Derech Emunah.

Rabbi Meir was born in Spain, 1480. He was exiled in 1492 during the Inquisition and likely settled Turkey. Ultimately Rabbi Meir was buried in the Holy Land.

Rabbi Meir staunchly opposed the study of philosophy which gained popularity during his era.

Constantinople, 1560.

79 leaves. A few individual leaves at the beginning and end of the book of slightly wider that the rest of the book’s leaves. Leaf 18 has a small tear on the corner causing a few words to be missing. Apart from this the copy is complete and in good condition.

Otzar Hasefer Computerized Database, No. 58282.

First edition of a prominent Kabbalah book.