Manuscript – Otzrot Chaim and Homiletic of the Ari's Kabbalah – Many Glosses by the Kabbalist Rabbi David di Modena ...

Manuscript – Otzrot Chaim and Homiletic of the Ari's Kabbalah – Many Glosses by the Kabbalist Rabbi David di Modena – Safed, Beginning of the 18th Century
Manuscript, Otzrot Chaim and other homiletics, the Ari's kabbalah by his disciple Rabbi Chaim Vital, edited by Rabbi Ya'akov Tzemach. Safed, [c. 1720].
Eloquent Oriental writing [Eretz Israel]. By Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Yitzchak Nachmias of Safed who signed the colophon.
Otzrot Chaim was edited at c. 1720 by the kabbalist Rabbi Ya'akov Tzemach from the manuscripts of Rabbi Chaim Vital which were archived and later discovered in Jerusalem. These manuscripts were edited for other books: Kehillot Ya'akov, Adam Yashar, etc. This manuscript contains the book Otzrot Chaim with additions from the book Adam Yashar and from Kehillot Ya'akov. The scribe added at the end of the manuscript also "The Gate of Prophecy and Divine Inspiration" (Sha'ar HaYichudim – the fourth branch of the book Pri Etz Chaim, edited by Rabbi Meir Poppers). Added in the handwriting of a different scribe: "Explanation of the Matter of Klipot" (Sha'ar HaKlipot) and Kisei HaKavod D'Bri'ah (from Sha'ar Kisei HaKavod of Etz Chaim).
Signatures of Rabbi David di Modena on the first leaf and in other places. On the pages of the manuscript appear hundreds of his handwritten glosses: some by leading kabbalists, Rabbi Yosef Ibn Tabul [the Maharit], Rabbi Moshe Zakut [Ramaz], Rabbi Natan Shapira [the Ranash], Rabbi Avraham Azulai and Rabbi Yisrael Binyamin [the Maharib]. Dozens of other original glosses of his own, long and full of content (some begin with the words Pli'ah Da'at Mimeni or "In my lowly opinion"), signed "David" [Possibly, several glosses were written by someone else].
Two passages in the handwriting of David di Modena appear on Leaf 212/2: "I have found written in Likutei Torah in Egypt", with sketches of circles: on the last flyleaf is a handwritten schematic sketch of the "chain of the worlds". At the end of the manuscript after the scribe's colophon, Rabbi David signed: "The editing of the book Otzrot Chaim has been completed on the 22nd of the month of Elul… here in Safed in 1726".
Rabbi David di Modena, a Torah scholar and a kabbalist, born in Thessaloniki, ascended to Eretz Israel in 1720; settled initially in Safed and later moved to Jerusalem. Apparently, earlier he spent some time in Egypt and there he signed rulings together with Rabbi Shmuel Vital (Rabbi Chaim's son) and with the Mara D'Atra (local rabbi) Rabbi Mordechai HaLevi (in the Darkei Noam responsa, Yoreh Deah Siman 5, and Even HaEzer Siman 15). In 1735, he was in Aleppo, there he wrote his book Nefesh David [kabbalistic commentary on the Torah]. He printed it one year later in Constantinople. In 1747, he travelled to Turkey and while in Thessaloniki, he printed his book Ruach David V'Nishmat David – a commentary on the Idra Raba and a kabbalistic commentary on Shir HaShirim. This book received approbations from Rabbi Yitzchak HaLevi, Rabbi Chaim Moshe Amarilio and Rabbi Yosef HaCohen Ibn Ardut, who call him "The wise in secrets, the perfect wise man G-dly kabbalist". Like other Torah scholars of his generation he was drawn to Sabbatai Zevi (Sabbatean content appears in his works; see: Meir Benayahu, The Sabbatean Movement in Greece, Jerusalem 1973, pp. 195-196).
1-40, 43-55, [3], 56-212, 212-214 leaves (missing leaves 41-42). Total of 216 leaves. 22 cm. The first leaf is a replacement written by another writer, Leaves 179-196 are by another writer. High-quality paper, good condition. Spotting. Moisture traces, wear and tear to several leaves. Ancient leather binding, worn and damaged.