Manuscript, Commentary on Tractate Avot Based on the Arizal's Kabbalah – Egypt, First Half of 18th Century – ...

Manuscript, Commentary on Tractate Avot Based on the Arizal's Kabbalah – Egypt, First Half of 18th Century – Segulot for Plague and More

Manuscript, commentary on Pirkei Avot based on the kabbalah of the Arizal. [Egypt, ca. 1720s-1730s].

Neat Oriental semi-cursive script (the Mishnah text is written in square script; some pages' layout specially designed in geometrical shapes and trees). At beginning of manuscript, initial panel with rectangular frame, decorated with a symmetrical vegetal pattern in red, blue and gold.

The scribe of the manuscript is R. Shmuel Abudarham, who copied manuscripts of the Arizal's kabbalah in the 1720s-1730s, apparently in Egypt (for a partial list of manuscripts he copied, see: R. Moshe Hillel, Ohel Re'em, p. 194, no. 70 of list of manuscripts, and note 166 there. The Budapest Ms. mentioned there was written in 1729. Other manuscripts R. Shmuel Abudarham copied are St. Petersburg Ms. Evr. Antonin A 7; and the Kehillot Yisrael Ms. described in the preface to Siddur HaAri – Chemdat Yisrael, published by Ahavat Shalom, Jerusalem 2016, second manuscript).

The present item is an organized commentary on Pirkei Avot, with the Mishnah text in large square script. The commentary is arranged in two sequences according to the order of the chapters: the first sequence of the commentary was printed in Shaar Maamarei Razal by R. Chaim Vital, Thessaloniki 1862 (leaves 16-23 at end of book), based on a copying by R. Avraham Castro (on the misattribution of this commentary to R. Chaim Vital, see Etz Chaim edition of Machon Ahavat Shalom, Gate III – Shaar HaMaamarim, Jerusalem 2017, preface – p. 10).

The second sequence contains selected commentaries based on the Arizal's kabbalah. At the beginning are several passages by R. Yaakov Tzemach (labeled "Tzemach"); on leaves 64-66, a passage "from R. Tabul"; on leaves 66-69, passages from R. Natan Shapiro. This part has not been printed.

Leaf 27 was completed at a later time in a different script, but is evidently also the handwriting of R. Shmuel Abudarham.

On interior of the front endpaper, remains of colorful decorations and faded text, apparently an impression transferred from a decorated title page at the beginning of the manuscript that was cut off and removed at some point.

At the end of the manuscript, on leaves left blank by the first scribe, appear several pages in another hand (Oriental cursive script): On leaves 71-72, kabbalistic segulot for plague. On p. 73b, kabbalistic commentary on the Mishnah: "If I am not for myself, who is for me?..." (with the Mishnah in square script and the commentary in cursive script). The commentary is signed "David son of R. Moshe" (possibly the kabbalist R. David son of R. Moshe Didia Majar, author of Chasdei David, disciple and peer of the Rashash and a prominent member of the Beit El kabbalistic yeshiva, d. 1800). On other pages of last leaves – many pen trials.

Stamps on several leaves: "Shlomo HaLevi Horowitz – Zgierz".

[75] leaves. 16 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains, including dark stains. Browning of paper. Open tears affecting text as a result of ink erosion in several places. Marginal tears to several leaves, some repaired with paper. Original leather binding, with light damage.