Noph Etz Chaim [Kabbalistic commentary on the Bible]

VITAL, CHAIM.

Germany(?)

c. 18th Century

Manuscript on paper. Neat Ashkenazic cursive Hebrew script with some square headings

The dissemination of the Kabbalistic writings and teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (known by the acrostic, Ari'Zal) follows a complicated path. His major disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital revised and edited his master's works a number of times thus accounting for the variants of the Eitz Chaim. The most comprehensive compilation and recension of Vital's various versions was edited by Rabbi Meir Poppers of Cracow. Poppers was one of the primary disciples of Rabbi Yaakov Zemach (who studied under Rabbi Shmuel Vital). He divided Vital's magnum opus into sections. Material not pertaining to the Etz Chaim directly was allocated and arranged in the Sefer Nof Etz Chaim (the bough of Etz Chaim) with further subsections entitled "Anaf" and "Sarig" (further brached and shoots). This manuscript contains "Nof Bet" which is the commentary on the Bible, Prophets, Megiloth and Psalms. In addition to citations from the "Rav" (the Ari'Zal) and Vital's commentary, this manuscript also contains citations from Yaakov Zemach, Rabbi Meir Azaria of Fano, the "chaveirim" (colleagues of the Ari'Zal) and others