08:28:05


[Login]   
[Book List]  
 
Bidding Information
Lot #    19943
Auction End Date    2/19/2008 10:50:00 AM (mm/dd/yyyy)
          
Title Information
Title (English)    Derekh Emunah
Title (Hebrew)    דרך אמונה
Author    [Kabbalah - First Ed.] R. Meir ibn Gabbai
City    Padua
Publisher    Lorenzo Paskvetto
Publication Date    1563
          
Collection Information
Independent Item    This listing is an independent item not part of any collection
          
Description Information
Physical
Description		    First edition. 28 ff., 208:147 mm., extra wide margins, light age and damp staining. A very good copy bound in full vellum wrappers.
          
Paragraph 1    First Hebrew book printed in Padua.
          
Detailed
Description		    R. Meir b. Ezekiel ibn Gabbai (1480–after 1540), kabbalist of the generation of Spanish exiles. The details of his life are not known. Apparently he lived in Turkey and possibly died in Erez Israel. He wrote three books dealing with the principal problems of Kabbalah. They are: Tola'at Ya'akov (written in 1507 and first printed in Constantinople, 1560), on the prayers; Derekh Emunah (written in 1539 and first printed Constantinople, 1560), an explanation of the doctrine of the sefirot in the form of questions and answers, based on Sha'ar ha-Sho'el by Azriel of Gerona and incorporating views of the Zohar; and Avodat ha-Kodesh, on the entire doctrine of the Kabbalah, in four parts - on the unity of G-d, the worship of G-d, the purpose of man in the universe, and an explanation of esoteric aspects of the Torah - an important work which he wrote from 1523 to 1531. The last is the most comprehensive and organized summary of the doctrine of the Kabbalah prior to the Safed period and was one of the most popular books on Kabbalah even with recent generations. It was first printed 1566–68 under the name Marot Elokim. Ibn Gabbai was one of the leading proponents of the view that the Sefirot are the essence of divinity.
          
Paragraph 2    בדרך תשובה שאלה על דרך הקבלה ... חברו ... ר' מאיר בן גבאי ז"ל ...

מעבר לשער: "אמר שמואל פיהם ש"ץ מק"ק פדואה המגיה, בן הקדוש רבי יצחק פיהם ז"ל ... ספר זה להגאון הרב מהר"ר מאיר ן' גבאי ז"ל השיב לאחד מתלמידיו שמו מהר"ר יוסף [ב"ר יצחק] הלוי ... ". דף ב: עשר שאלותיו של התלמיד ר' יוסף הלוי. החיבור הוא תשובה לשאלות הללו. קולופון: "תם ונשלם מלאכת הספר הלז, לשם מי' סידרו דיל פורטיל וועקיו, פה פדואה ז"ך טבת שכ"ג".

          
Reference
Description		    CD-EPI 0105861
        
Associated Images
2 Images (Click thumbnail to view full size image):
  Order   Image   Caption
  1   Click to view full size  
  
  2   Click to view full size  
  
  
Listing Classification
Period
16th Century:    Checked
  
Location
Italy:    Checked
  
Subject
  
Kabbalah:    Checked
  
Characteristic
Bindings:    Checked
First Editions:    Checked
Language:    Hebrew
  
Manuscript Type
  
Kind of Judaica