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

TZAHALON, ABRAHAM.

Giovanni di Gara

Venice

1595

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. The earliest published writings of the Arizal were his liturgical hymns published in Yephe Nof (Venice 1575-80). Marpe LaNephesh however, constitutes the Arizal’s earliest published teachings as opposed to his mystical poems. The author states in the title and introduction of the present work that the Arizal’s Tikunei Nephesh contains secrets “not revealed since the days of R. Shimon Bar Yochai.” A resident of Safed, Abraham Tzahalon, also published at di Gara’s Venetian press in 1595 two further works: Yad Charutzim, on the Hebrew calendar; and Yesha Elo-him commentary to the Book of Esther.