Nephesh Ha’chaim [ethics]

AUCTION 14 | Tuesday, November 13th, 2001 at 1:00

Important Hebrew Printed Books and Manuscripts From the Library of the London Beth Din

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Lot 339

VOLOZHINER, CHAIM

Nephesh Ha’chaim [ethics]

FIRST EDITION. Title within decorative typographical border ff. 63. Light stains in places, trace worming on a few leaves, title and last leaf neatly rehinged, institutional stamp on verso of final leaf. Recent half-cloth marbled boards. 4to Vinograd, Vilna 183

Vilna & Grodno: Partners Mann & Zimmel 1824

Est: $700 - $1,000

PRICE REALIZED $950

Based on difficult and complex interpretations of the Zohar and other Kabbalistic texts, Nephesh Ha’chaim is the most fundamental tract to outline the weltanschauung of Lithuanian Jewry. Written by the principle disciple of the Vilna Gaon, the author was the acknowledged leader of the Mithnagid Movement following his establishment of the Volozhin Yeshiva in 1802, his writings were highly influential in elite scholarly Lithuaninan Jewish circles. See A. Nadler, The Faith of the Mithnagdim- Rabbinic Responses to Hasidic Rapture (1997), pp.4-7. For a scholarly exposition of the author's thought pertaining to the selfless study of Torah, see N. Lamm, Torah Lishmah (1989)