Megaleh Amukoth [252 kabbalistic explanations to Moses’ prayer in the Biblical portion of Va’ethchanan]
AUCTION 25 |
Monday, October 25th,
2004 at 1:00
Important Hebrew Printed Books: The Property of a Gentleman
Lot 48
SHAPIRO, NATHAN NATA BEN SHLOMO OF CRACOW
Megaleh Amukoth [252 kabbalistic explanations to Moses’ prayer in the Biblical portion of Va’ethchanan]
Cracow: (Menachem Nachum Meisels) 1637
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
While yet a young man, the author's wide erudition and phenomenal memory caught the eye of the community leaders of Cracow who appointed him the city's Rosh Yeshivah and Dayan. An aura of mystery and holiness surrounded him. Indeed, the inscription on his tombstone states that he was reputed to have communed with the Prophet Elijah.
When traditional scholars wished to celebrate the infinite breadth of the Torah, the present text would be cited as a perfect example. The Chid"a cites R. Yechiel (author of Seder Ha-Doroth) Heilperin who saw 1,000 interpretations of the Megaleh Amukoth on the diminutive letter Aleph of the word Vayikra. His son, R. Shlomo, writes in his introduction that his father had actually composed 1,000 interpretations of Moses’ prayer in Va'ethchanan