Manuscript
Eitz Chaim
by Rabbi Chaim Vital.
Two Complete Volumes
Tarlow, Apta County, 1781
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Large Folded Tree of Sefiros.
Two thick volumes with over 1000 handwritten sides in the handwriting of Reb Asher Zelig ben Rabbi Yitzchak the scribe. Written in neat Ashkenazic script. Contains unknown mystical glosses as well as additional compositions on kabbalah.
contains the 50 Gates of Rabbi Chaim Vital’s Eitz Chaim Sefer Eitz Chaim. Sefer Eitz Chaim is the foundational work of the Arizal’s kabbalah and includes all the principles, rules and introductions to the wisdom of kabbalah taught by his disciple Rabbi Chaim Vital.amd wascstudied by generations of kabbalists for the knowledge of the Arizal’s kabbalah.
Vol 1: Gates 1-24. Vol 2: Gates 25-50. Completely intact including the introductions of Rabbi Chaim vital and Rabbi Meir Poppirash.
Title pages and colophon
Each title page with the date: 1781 in a decorative border .
Inscription on title page of Vol. 2 : “I write for the honor of the Holy One Blessed Be He. The young Asher Zelig son of the late Rabbi Yitzchak zt”l from Tarlow.”
The colophon at the end of Volume 1 says,
“Upon completion, I bless the Creator, may His Name be blessed, Who gave me the merit of completing the first volume of sefer Eitz Chaim, today, Wednesday, the 3rd day of Menachem Av, in the year of “Eitz chaim hei lmachazikim ba usomcheha Me’ASHER (5541-1781)… I [am]the youth who writes for the sake of the unification of the Holy One Blessed Be He and His Shechinah, Asher Zelig ben Rabbi Yitzchak from Tarlow, near Apta in Poland Minor.”
Sefiros Tree and Kabbalistic Illustrations
A large folded chart in the beginning of Vol 1. depicting the order of the Ten Sefiros [based on Sefer Yetzirah].Two illustrations of an open palm, the “Kumas Hayad” with the order of the Aleph Beis alluded to in the joints of the fingers (see below).
There are also other kabbalistic illustrations in the body of the manuscript.
Unknown marginalia in the manuscript
Marginalia of several unknown kabbalists appear on the pages of the manuscript. Some begin with the words, “Shneur the youth says” and the like. Nothing is known of this anonymous Shneur. (See Vol 1: 43a, 63b, 117b.)
Additions
1) The end of Vol 1. includes an essay from the Arizal’s on the order of the Aleph Beis on the fingers after which it says, “the commentary on this holy and hidden essay was given by Hashem to my teacher and rabbi, the chassid and kabbalist…Rabbi Yaakov Temarlish Ashkenazi” (later printed at the end of Sefer Yetzirah, Warsaw, 1884).
2) Prayer and meditations for the rectification of the ill. It opens with the words, “Behold I have come to visit the ill and to rectify his root.”
3) “Whoever is unable to go to the mikvah should perform this tikkun.”
Tarlow, Apata County, 1781. Two large volumes. Vol. 1: [9], [1] large folded chart, 256, [6] leaves. Vol. 2: 261 leaves, total of 526 leaves. Page size: 21×18 cm. Minor tears and stains on last 8 leaves, otherwise good condition. New leather bindings.
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