Sepher Derech Etz Chaim [“The Way of the Tree of Life”: Kabbalah]. Gate 27 (Sha’ar Peratei Ibur [Yenikah] Mochin) until Gate 49 (Sha’ar Kelipat Nogah)
AUCTION 27 |
Tuesday, February 08th,
2005 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Autographed Letters, Manuscripts, Ceremonial & Graphic Art
Lot 354
VITAL, CHAIM.
Sepher Derech Etz Chaim [“The Way of the Tree of Life”: Kabbalah]. Gate 27 (Sha’ar Peratei Ibur [Yenikah] Mochin) until Gate 49 (Sha’ar Kelipat Nogah)
Germany: 18th Century
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
MAGNUM OPUS OF RABBI CHAIM VITAL (1542-1620)
Derech Etz Chaim is the authoritative summary of Lurianic kabbalah as transmitted by the master, Isaac Luria (“Ari”) to his disciple Chaim Vital Calabrese (1542-1620). Meir Poppers, disciple of Jacob Zemach, arranged this final edition of Vital’s writings by 1653. The book consists of fifty sub-sections (“she’arim” or “gates”). First published in Korets (Korzec) in 1782 by the maskil Isaac Satanov (a member of Mendelssohn’s circle), the book was entitled Sepher Etz Chaim. From a scholarly point of view, the book is a curious amalgam: The Earlier (Mahadura Kama) and Later Version (Mahadura Tinyana) of the teaching interchange throughout. See EJ, Vol. XVI, cols. 171-176.
The text of the present manuscript comprises roughly the entirety of Volume II of the modern printing of Etz Chaim, Judah Zevi Brandwein ed. (Jerusalem, 1988)