21:33:47
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Bidding Information
Lot #
4889
Auction End Date
6/25/2003 11:18:00 AM (mm/dd/yyyy)
Title Information
Title (English)
Sheresh Yishai
Title (Hebrew)
שרש ישי
Author
[The R. Hayyim Toledano Copy]
City
Constantinople
Publisher
Shlomo ibn Oshki
Publication Date
1561
Collection Information
Independent Item
This listing is an independent item not part of any collection
Description Information
Physical
Description
96 ff, quarto, 198:142 mm., wide margins, scattered worming affecting letters, expert repairs, old hands on title and verso. A good copy bound in contemporary vellum boards.
Paragraph 1
R. Hayyim Toledano from the family of rabbis and hakhamim which originated in Toledo, Spain. After the expulsion from Spain in 1492, the Toledanos were to be found in Safed, Salonika, and Morocco. According to a family tradition they arrived in Fez during the 16th century from Salonika, and from there went to Meknes and became leaders of the community from the 16th century until the present day. They were prominent in the community in religious affairs, producing renowned rabbis and poets who enriched the literature of Moroccan Jewry with their works and greatly influenced the western communities, particularly those of MeknIs, Sale, Tangier, and even Gibraltar; in political affairs, producing men who served as ministers and counselors to kings and were entrusted with diplomatic missions; and in economic affairs, producing outstanding merchants who developed and maintained varied commercial relations with European countries which contributed to the economic progress of Morocco.
Detailed
Description
Rabbi Shlomo ben Moshe Alkebetz Ha'Levi, kabbalist and mystical poet, is the composer of the Sabbath hymn "Lechah Dodi" ("Come, my beloved"). He was in contact with R. Joseph Caro, who greatly appreciated his knowledge of Kabalah. R. Alkabez states that while they were both studying the Torah on the night of Shavu'ot, the maggid appeared to R. Caro. They therefore established the custom of staying awake on the night of Shavu'ot to study the Torah. The custom, which became widespread, is known as "Tikkun Leil Shavu'ot." R. Alkabez probably arrived in Safed in 1535. Very little is known of his life there. His signature on rulings and documents is rarer than that of any other important Safed scholar. It seems that he was head of the Meron yeshivah and it is almost certain that he was an officiating rabbi in Safed. A prolific author, he wrote some works on the Bible, and others of a kabbalistic nature. Many of his manuscripts were stolen when he died. It is not clear whether this was done during persecutions, or by other authors. None of his purely kabbalistic works was printed or preserved in manuscript. R. Alkabez, in order to understand the secrets of the Zohar, used to go out with his students to pray and meditate on the graves of zaddikim. This practice was called gerushin ("banishment"). During these gerushin-peregrinations, they concentrated on rousing their contemplative powers spontaneously and without any previous preparation. R. Alkabez had a powerful gift for stimulating spiritual revivals and mystical life.
Paragraph 2
פירוש על מגלת רות [עם הפנים] חברו... ר' שלמה הלוי בן אלקבץ נר"ו...
Reference
Description
Vinograd, Constantinople 221; Yaari, Constantinople 163
Associated Images
3 Images
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Order
Image
Caption
1
2
3
Listing Classification
Period
16th Century:
Checked
Location
Greece-Turkey:
Checked
Subject
Bible:
Checked
Characteristic
Autographed:
Checked
First Editions:
Checked
Language:
Hebrew
Manuscript Type
Kind of Judaica
