Foundational Sefer of the Ramak’s Kabbalah
Pardes Rimonim. First Edition. Cracow, 1592
An introduction to the wisdom of Kabbalah with many explanations on the words of the Zohar, by the kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Cordova, known as the Ramak.
Includes an illustration of the tree of sefiros, as well as many other kabbalistic illustrations. An intact copy of the first edition of ‘Pardes Rimonim’ in good condition is an exceptionally rare find.
Rabbi Moshe Cordova’s Kabbalah
The light of the Arizal and the Ramak began to illuminate the world as the study of the Zohar first began to spread, and these tzaddikim became leaders in the world of the wisdom of Kabbalah.
Rabbi Menachem Azarya of Pano explains the primary difference in the approaches of the Arizal and Ramak to the study of Kabbalah in his introduction to ‘Pelach Harimon’. He says that just as the Torah has pshat and sod, so too in the study of Kabbalah. The Ramak explains Kabbalah through pshat, and the Arizal explains Kabbalah through sod.
Rabbi Moshe Cordova (1522-1570) was a disciple of Rabbi Yosef Karo in the Revealed Torah, and a disciple of his brother-in-law Rabbi Shlomo Elkabetz in the Hidden Torah. He merited to the revelation of Eliyahu Hanavi, and the Arizal testified that at his funeral Rabbi Moshe Cordova was accompanied by a Heavenly pillar of fire (Shem Hagedolim, Ramak).
Printing of Pardes Rimonim
The printing began in Cracow in the printing press of Yitzchak Prostitz until the outbreak of a terrible plague, which led Yitzchak Prostitz to flee to Nowy Dwor with his printing press. It was in Nowy Dwor, adjacent to Warsaw, that the printing was completed. (See title page and colophon.)
Cracow – Nowy Dwor, 1592. First edition. [2] 211 leaves. Incorrect page count.
Page size: 31 cm.
Condition: Fine copy in good condition, slight damage to margins of few pages. New leather binding.
Bibliography: Stefansky, Sifrei Yesod # 344
Provenance: Walmedona-Luntzer collection
