Fundamental Kabbalistic Work

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Fundamental Kabbalistic Work

Ornamental Manuscript of Eitz Chaim. Eastern-Europe, 18th Century

18th century manuscript of Rabbi Chaim Vital’s monumental kabbalistic sefer Eitz Chaim. Beautiful Ashkenazic script, kabbalistic illustrations and adornments.

The first pages open with an introduction by Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach to the sefer Ranu L’Yaakov, a preface by Rabbi Chaim Vital, the principles of the wisdom of kabbalah that Rabbi Chaim Vital authored in his latter years, a preface by Rabbi Meir Poppers, and a prayer to be recited before commencing the study of kabbalah.

The colophon in the margin of leaf 127a notes the name of the scribe: “I, the author who speaks righteousness in honor of Torah and its scholars, Yehuda Yudel son of Moreinu Harav Yonah Katz.”

Sefer Eitz Chaim was comprehensively edited by the renowned kabbalist Rabbi Meir Poppers based on Rabbi Chaim Vital’s personal manuscript of Mahadura Basra. The present sefer is regarded as the elemental kabbalistic work and includes all roots, principles and prefaces to kabbalah based on the teachings of the Arizal. Since the printing of Rabbi Meir Poppers’ edited edition of Eitz Chaim, it has been widely-accepted as the introductory work to kabbalah and studied extensively by kabbalists ever since (Y. Avivi, Kabbalas Ha’Ar”i Vol. 2 p. 636).

Eastern Europe, 18th century. Clear, attractive Ashkenazic script characteristic of the era. The margins include several kabbalistic glosses in a different handwriting (see examples on leaves 77b, 95a, 100a). Page Count: 10, 128, [2] leaves (279 handwritten sides). Page Size: 31x20.

Description: Original leather-bound wooden binding with remnants of metal corners and clasps. Binding is damaged. New fabric spine.

The Rashash’s Testimony

“The heavens are my witness that all that I engaged and studied [in kabbalah] are from the words of the Arizal and his disciple Moreinu Rabbi Chaim Vital z”l alone, and aside from them, I do not engage in any other sefer of the early or latter kabbalists… All their learning should be only in Eitz Chaim and Mevo She’arim and Shemone She’arim which are renowned entirely as the words of the living G-d” (Nahar Shalom L’Rabbeinu HaRashash p. 34a).

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