Marpe LaNephesh [a commentary to Isaac Luria's Tikunei Nephesh]

TZAHALON, ABRAHAM.

Giovanni di Gara

Venice

1595

FIRST EDITION

Vinograd, Venice 806; Habermann, di Gara 152

THE EARLIEST PUBLISHED WORK OF TEACHINGS OF ISAAC LURIA. With the rare final colophon leaf missing in most all other copies. A resident of Safed, Abraham Tzahalon, the author of this work also published in 1595 at di Gara’s Venetian press two other works: Yad Charutzim, on the Hebrew calendar; and Yesha Elo-him commentary to the Book of Esther. The author states in the title and introduction of the present work that the Ari Zal's Tikunei Nephesh contains secrets "not revealed since the days of R. Shimon Bar Yochai." Scholem (Kabbalah p. 426) mistakenly entitles this work as "Tikunei Teshuvah" as it includes penitence rituals The earliest published writings of the Ari Zal were his liturgical hymns published in Yephe Nof (Venice 1575-80). Marpe LaNephesh however, constitutes Luria's earliest published teachings as opposed to his mystical poems