View Auction Listing - Sha'ar ha-Pesukim

12:17:21

			[Login] [Book List]

Bidding Information
Lot #		14619
Auction End Date		6/13/2006 11:25:30 AM (mm/dd/yyyy)

Title Information

Title (English)

Sha'ar ha-Pesukim

Title (Hebrew)

שער הפסוקים

Author

[Ms. - Kabbalah] R. Hayyim Vital

City

[Hebron or Baghdad]

Publisher

R. Elijah b. Suleiman, Scribe

Publication Date

19th cent.

Collection Information

Independent Item

This listing is an independent item not part of any collection

Description Information

Physical
Description

2-131, [2] ff., 224:156 mm., light age staining, neat mid-Eastern script, 32 lines per page, ff. 2-12 in a neat Yemenite hand with marginal notes and corrections in R. Mani's hand, bound in modern full leather boards. First edition appeared in Jerusalem 1863, apparently after the completion of this manuscript.

Paragraph 1

Written with textual variations by R. Elijah b. Suleiman Mani (1818–1899) one of the best known Iraqi rabbis, born in Baghdad, where he studied at the Beit Zilka rabbinical academy and was one of the outstanding pupils of R. Abdallah Somekh. In 1856 he settled in Erez Israel, first in Jerusalem, but two years later he moved to Hebron. He played a prominent role in the development of the Jewish community there. In 1865 he was appointed chief rabbi of Hebron and retained this post until his death. By nature an unassuming and generous man, he was outspoken and adamant in matters of religious observance. He made several journeys on behalf of the Hebron community: to India in 1873; Egypt, 1872 and 1878; and Baghdad 1880. In 1879–80 a fierce argument broke out between R. Elijah and two prominent members of the community, Mercado Romano and R. Rahamim Joseph Franco, which split the community into two factions. In the end R. Elijah's views prevailed. R. Elijah wrote several books dealing with traditional and mystical Jewish studies. Of these, the following were published: Zikhronot Eliyahu, a collection of religious precepts, arranged in alphabetical order, of which two parts appeared (Jerusalem, 1936, 1938); and Karnot Zaddik (Baghdad, 1867). Many of his responsa were published in the Jerusalem Me'assef and in the writings of contemporary rabbinic scholars.

Detailed
Description

Also know as gate four of the Ez ha-Hayyim, Sha'ar ha-Pesukim contains kabbalistic commentary and interpretations of all parts of the Bible by R. Hayyim Vital. R. Vital was born in Safed and studied in yeshivot there, especially under R. Moses Alshekh, his teacher in exoteric subjects. In 1564 he began to study Kabbalah, at first according to the system R. Moses Cordovero, and, after R. Isaac Luria’s (Ari) arrival in Safed, under the latter, becoming the Ari’s principal disciple. After the Ari’s death, R. Vital began to arrange the Ari’s teachings in written form, elaborating on them according to his own understanding, becoming the primary transmitter of the Ari’s teachings. R. Vital later moved to Jerusalem, serving as rabbi and head of a yeshiva from late 1577 to late 1585, where he wrote the last version of his presentation of the Lurianic system. In 1586 he returned to Safed, remaining there until 1592. In 1590 R. Vital was “ordained” as rabbi by his teacher R. Moses Alshekh, and then returned to Jerusalem in 1593 remaining several years, occasionally returning to Safed. His last move was to Damascus where he died. R. Vital was a prolific writer, his works encompassing Talmud, response, homilies, and even astronomy. R. Vital assembled his major writings into two vast works Ez ha-Hayyim and Ez ha-Da’at. The former is the inclusive name for all those writings in which he elaborated on the teaching of R. Isaac Luria. These works went through several versions and adaptations, for R. Vital began to arrange what he had heard from Ar'i z'l immediately after his death, and remained absorbed in this task for more than 20 years.

Reference
Description

Associated Images

7 Images (Click thumbnail to view full size image):